Comparison

Ugly's Electrical References vs SparkShift

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • NEC 2026 updates
  • Mathematical formulas and calculators
  • Conduit bending guide with videos
  • Ampacity and conduit fill information
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Conversion tables
  • Works offline
Features
Read full description

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.

About

SparkShift

This app helps electricians streamline OJT logging, jobsite organization, and exam preparation. It provides field calculators and reference tools, consolidating essential resources for apprentices and journeymen in one place.

Highlights
  • Log OJT and work hours
  • Field calculators for electrical work
  • Journeyman and master exam practice
  • Organize jobsite details and notes
  • Track apprenticeship progress
  • Export hour records
Read full description

SparkShift helps electricians stop rebuilding hours from memory: log OJT records, organize jobsites, open field calculators, and study for exams from one jobsite-ready app. Built for electrical apprentices, journeymen, foremen, and contractors, SparkShift keeps the paperwork and reference tools you already reach for close to the work. OJT AND WORK HOURS - Log apprenticeship and work hours from your phone - Add timestamps, notes, work categories, and optional location context - Track progress across union and merit-shop workflows - Review and export hour records before sharing with a training program, employer, union local, contractor, state board, or provincial authority FIELD CALCULATORS AND REFERENCES - Use NEC/CEC-aware calculators for common electrical work - Check voltage drop, conduit fill, box fill, wire sizing, load calculations, and other field references - Keep practical code-study tools nearby when service is weak or you are moving between jobsites EXAM PREP - Practice journeyman and master exam questions - Review explanations, study notes, and confidence feedback - Keep prep connected to the same trade record you use in the field JOBSITES, CREWS, AND RECORDS - Organize jobsite details, schedules, absences, and field notes - Support submitted-hour review and crew visibility for foremen and contractor workflows - Keep certifications, work history, community, and career tools in one electrician-first system SparkShift was built from real jobsite paperwork pain: lost logs, rebuilt hours, scattered notes, and reference tools spread across too many apps. IMPORTANT LIMITS SparkShift is a recordkeeping and workflow tool. It is not a licensing board, apprenticeship sponsor, employer of record, payroll provider, legal advisor, code authority, inspector, or safety authority. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, training program, employer, union local, province, state, and storefront. Always verify current rules before relying on an export, calculation, report, or submission. LEGAL Privacy Policy: https://sparkshift.app/privacy Terms of Service: https://sparkshift.app/terms Community Guidelines: https://sparkshift.app/community-guidelines Support: https://sparkshift.app/contact

Screenshots

Ugly's Electrical References4 screens
SparkShift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SparkShift at Free against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. SparkShift also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 9 days vs every 3 months). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 3). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

SparkShift is free to download; Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99 up front. SparkShift sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Ugly's Electrical References asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SparkShift holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, SparkShift every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Ugly's Electrical References versus SparkShift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUgly's Electrical ReferencesSparkShift
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (1.5K ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#7 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1716.2 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB199 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperInformed PublishingSPARKSHIFT LLC

Customer experience

Ugly's Electrical References

All ratings1,495 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral16.9%
Negative36.0%

SparkShift

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

SparkShift

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

SparkShift

Subscriptions4
  • Journeyman Month$0.991 Month
  • Apprentice Month Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Journeyman Year Subscription$29.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Apprentice Yearly Sub$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SparkShift free?
SparkShift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ugly's Electrical References or SparkShift?
SparkShift is rated higher. Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while SparkShift averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Ugly's Electrical References or SparkShift have ads?
Neither Ugly's Electrical References nor SparkShift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ugly's Electrical References or SparkShift?
Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, and SparkShift every 9 days. Most recently, Ugly's Electrical References was updated on October 21, 2026 and SparkShift on October 13, 2026.

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