# Ugly's Electrical References vs SparkShift

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Ugly's Electrical References | SparkShift |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.4 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uglys-electrical-references/id1134770838/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkshift/id6737710285/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **1.5K** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 47.1% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#11** | — |
| Size | 63 MB | 199 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17 | **16.2** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 9+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Informed Publishing](https://appshunter.io/developer/351739093) | [SPARKSHIFT LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777536968) |

## What reviewers say

### Ugly's Electrical References

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/uglys-electrical-references/id1134770838)

**Currently charting:** #11 Top Paid · Productivity, #86 Top Paid (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Quick reference
- 👍 Helpful for apprentices and journeymen
- 👍 Convenient to have on phone
- 👍 Useful calculators
- 👍 Great resource

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Videos/audio not working
- 🐛 Bookmarking issues
- 🐛 Glitchy navigation
- 🐛 Difficult to find information
- 🐛 Annoying review pop-up

**Reported bugs**

- Videos not playing
- Bookmarks not working correctly
- Navigation issues causing app crashes
- Incorrect calculation results

**Requested features**

- Zoom functionality
- Better search capabilities
- Spanish language support
- Offline access to full content
- Improved bookmarking system


### SparkShift

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sparkshift/id6737710285)

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

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Journeyman Month | $0.99 | per month |
| Apprentice Month Subscription | $6.99 | per month |
| Journeyman Year Subscription | $29.00 | per year |
| Apprentice Yearly Sub | $69.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*