Ugly's Electrical References vs WaveLinx CAT
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.
WaveLinx CAT
Configure and manage WaveLinx CAT lighting systems for commercial spaces. This application allows users to create zones, adjust sensor settings, modify scenes, and update device firmware. A Bluetooth Programming Interface (BPI) is required for operation.
- Scan and read CAT devices
- Create and manage zones
- Adjust occupancy and daylight sensors
- Modify lighting scenes
- Update device firmware
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User and Commissioning application for WaveLinx CAT. Note: Bluetooth Programming Interface (BPI) must be connected. Scan and read CAT devices with a BPI device. This app lets you modify your WaveLinx CAT device settings to commercial space lighting work as you want. - Create new Zones and move devices to zones. - Change occupancy and daylight sensor settings. - Modify scenes and change wall station settings according to your desire. - Update your device's firmware.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Ugly's Electrical References at 47% against WaveLinx CAT's 0%. Ugly's Electrical References also leads on rating (4.4 vs 4.0) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 4). WaveLinx CAT's advantage is price (Free vs $12.99) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17). 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
WaveLinx CAT 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.
Ugly's Electrical References holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 4, 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 0% of WaveLinx CAT's.
Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, WaveLinx CAT every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Ugly's Electrical References | WaveLinx CAT |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $12.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better | 4.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1.5K — better | 4 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months — better | Every 4 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #9 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 63 MB | 102 MB |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Informed Publishing | Cooper Lighting |
Customer experience
Ugly's Electrical References
WaveLinx CAT
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
WaveLinx CAT
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Ugly's Electrical References
No in-app purchases
WaveLinx CAT
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Is WaveLinx CAT free?
Which has better reviews, Ugly's Electrical References or WaveLinx CAT?
Do Ugly's Electrical References or WaveLinx CAT have ads?
Which is updated more often, Ugly's Electrical References or WaveLinx CAT?
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