Ugly's Electrical References vs KNIPEX
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Ugly's Electrical References
This app provides electricians and electrical professionals with up-to-date digital information based on the National Electrical Code. It includes formulas, wiring diagrams, conduit bending guides, and calculators for various electrical calculations. The app is designed for on-the-job reference and works offline.
- NEC 2026 updates
- Mathematical formulas and calculators
- Conduit bending guide with videos
- Ampacity and conduit fill information
- Wiring diagrams
- Conversion tables
- Works offline
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The Ugly's Electrical References App has been updated to reflect changes to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) and the 2026 Edition of our popular Ugly’s Electrical References book. The Ugly’s App offers the most pertinent, up-to-date digital information for electricians, including table change information, mathematical formulas; National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) wiring configurations; a conduit bending guide with videos, ampacity and conduit fill information, transformer and control circuit wiring diagrams, and conversion tables. The 2026 Edition: * Reflects changes to the 2026 NEC * Features expanded coverage of the following topics: * Full-load currents for 3-phase transformers * Maximum number of conductors in electrical metallic tubing for trade sizes 5 and 6 * Equipment grounding conductors * General lighting loads for non-dwelling occupancies * Overview of important NEC code changes from 2020, 2023 and 2026 Electricians and electrical professionals have used ‘Ugly’s Electrical References’ book as their on-the-job reference for over 35 years. This app will serve you even better in the field today. FEATURING Calculators and Interactive Features • Ohm’s Law Calculator • Voltage Drop Calculator • Ampacity Calculator • To Find: Amps, Watts, Horsepower, KVA • To Find: Inductance, Impedance, Reactance • Three-phase AC Motor Data: Starter, Breaker, Heater, Wire, and Conduit Size • Power Factor Correction • Full Load Current for Motors and Transformers • Locked-Rotor Current Calculator • Offset Bending Calculator • Conduit Fill Calculator • Conversions for Area, Length, Temperature, Time, Volume, and Weight • NEMA Wiring Configurations *Pinch & Zoom for improved readability *Conduit Bending Video Tutorials *Search function helps you quickly find what you need to know *NEC Updater outlines and explains changes to the National Electrical Code© *Electrical Safety including definitions, boundaries, procedures, PPE guidance, and life-saving *First aid procedures *Blueprint symbol identifier *Bookmark your commonly used screens *High-definition images and interactive tables that can be zoomed in for detail *Works offline *Great for electricians, students, engineers, contractors, maintenance workers, and military Interested in a buying more than one copy of the Ugly’s Electrical Reference app for your commercially owned devices? Please email info[at]uglys[dot]net for details on volume purchases. Privacy Policy - http://www.jblearning.com/privacy/ Terms of Service - http://www.jblearning.com/use/ Support – http://www.uglys.net/appsupport The Ugly’s Electrical Reference app is part of the popular Ugly’s Professional Reference® series, which is an imprint of Jones & Bartlett Learning. National Electrical Code and NFPA 70 are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Agency and are not associated with Ugly’s Electrical References in any way.
KNIPEX
Easily locate the perfect pliers from an extensive catalog. Browse product details, save preferred items to a personal wish list, and ensure you always have the right tool for the job.
- Find the right pliers
- Access entire product range
- View product details
- Save favorites to wish list
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With the KNIPEX app you can always find the right pliers for you. Get access to the entire KNIPEX range, find out about our products and save your favorites on your personal wish list.a
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Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: KNIPEX at 100% against Ugly's Electrical References's 47%. KNIPEX also leads on price (Free vs $12.99) and rating (4.9 vs 4.4). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 131) and chart position (#4 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
KNIPEX is free to download; Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
KNIPEX holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 131, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's written reviews are positive against 100% of KNIPEX's.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ugly's Electrical References | KNIPEX |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (1.5K ratings) | 4.9 (131 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 131 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #4 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 31 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Informed Publishing | KNIPEX |
Customer experience
Ugly's Electrical References
KNIPEX
User reviews
Ugly's Electrical References
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick reference
- 👍 Helpful for apprentices and journeymen
- 👍 Convenient to have on phone
- 👍 Useful calculators
- 👍 Great resource
Room to improve
- 🐛 Videos/audio not working
- 🐛 Bookmarking issues
- 🐛 Glitchy navigation
- 🐛 Difficult to find information
- 🐛 Annoying review pop-up
KNIPEX
From 131 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to use and intuitive
- 💡 Helpful for finding the right tool
- 🚀 Fast and efficient search
- 👍 Well-organized catalog
- 💡 AR feature is innovative and useful
Room to improve
- 💡 Could be faster in animations/transitions
- 💡 Missing video demonstrations for tools
Bugs and requests
Ugly's Electrical References
Reported bugs
4 issues- Videos not playing
- Bookmarks not working correctly
- Navigation issues causing app crashes
- Incorrect calculation results
Requested features
5 requests- Zoom functionality
- Better search capabilities
- Spanish language support
- Offline access to full content
- Improved bookmarking system
KNIPEX
Requested features
4 requests- Video demonstrations for each tool
- Ability to compare multiple products
- Direct in-app purchasing
- More applications listed in search filters
In-app purchases
Ugly's Electrical References
No in-app purchases
KNIPEX
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Is KNIPEX free?
Which has better reviews, Ugly's Electrical References or KNIPEX?
Do Ugly's Electrical References or KNIPEX have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ugly's Electrical References or KNIPEX?
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