Comparison

Ugly's Electrical References vs Ask BONBON

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
Currently charting
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

Ask BONBON

This AI-powered assistant provides instant answers to National Electrical Code (NEC) questions for electricians. Get precise code information, explanations, and troubleshooting help directly on the job site to ensure compliance and build confidence.

Highlights
  • Instant NEC code answers
  • AI-powered code explanations
  • Smart job site troubleshooting
  • Inspection compliance verification
  • On-the-job learning tool
  • Multilingual support
Features
Read full description

Ask NETA is now Ask BONBON! We've rebranded, but everything you love stays the same — instant, AI-powered NEC code answers built for electricians. Ask BONBON is the #1 AI assistant for electrical professionals. Get instant answers to any National Electrical Code (NEC) question, right on the job site. Whether you're a journeyman, apprentice, inspector, or contractor — Ask BONBON has you covered. Trained on multiple editions of the National Electrical Code (NEC) and real-world electrical expertise, Ask BONBON cuts through the clutter to give you the exact information you need, when you need it. WHY ELECTRICIANS CHOOSE Ask BONBON? INSTANT ANSWERS: Tired of flipping through the code book or calling a friend? Ask any Electrical question, for example, "What are the grounding requirements for a subpanel?" and get the precise NEC code and a clear explanation in seconds. Save time and ensure compliance on every job. SMART TROUBLESHOOTING: Facing a challenge on the job site? Ask BONBON analyzes your situation to help you diagnose issues, identify components, and find code-compliant solutions to get you to the solution faster. BUILD CONFIDENCE & PASS INSPECTIONS: Reduce callbacks and pass inspections the first time. Ask BONBON helps you verify your work against the latest code, so you can be confident the job is done right. LEARN ON THE JOB: Perfect for apprentices, Journeyman, and Master Electricians alike. Ask BONBON doesn't just give you the answer; it explains the 'why' behind the code. Deepen your trade knowledge with every question you ask. MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT: Work with a diverse team? Ask questions in Spanish, French, or another language, and Ask BONBON will respond in that language, ensuring clear communication and understanding for everyone. Download Ask BONBON today, make it your trusted daily companion for every electrical project. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stddla/ Privacy Policy: https://askbonbon.com/privacy

Screenshots

Ugly's Electrical References4 screens
Ask BONBON4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Ask BONBON at Free against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. Ask BONBON also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 47%) and update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 months). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 42). On rating, 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

Ask BONBON is free to download; Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99 up front. Ask BONBON sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. Ugly's Electrical References asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ask BONBON holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 42, 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 88% of Ask BONBON's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, Ask BONBON every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Ugly's Electrical References versus Ask BONBON: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUgly's Electrical ReferencesAsk BONBON
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (1.5K ratings)4.6 (42 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews87.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1.5K — better42
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#8 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1716.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB122 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperInformed PublishingBonbon Electric 2021

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%

Ask BONBON

All ratings42 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral2.4%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews40 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral7.5%
Negative5.0%

User reviews

Ugly's Electrical References

From 1.5K App Store ratings

What 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

Ask BONBON

From 42 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Very Helpful App
  • 👍 User Friendly
  • 👍 Accurate and Precise Answers
  • 👍 Saves Time and Headache
  • 👍 Useful for Electricians

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

Ask BONBON

No bugs or feature requests surfaced in reviews.

In-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Ask BONBON

Subscriptions4
  • BONBON Starter Monthly14 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • BONBON Plus14 Days trial$19.991 Month
  • BONBON Starter Annual$83.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • BONBON Plus (Annual)$167.991 Year

Questions

Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ask BONBON free?
Ask BONBON is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Ugly's Electrical References or Ask BONBON?
Ask BONBON is rated higher. Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Ask BONBON averages 4.6 from 42 ratings.
Do Ugly's Electrical References or Ask BONBON have ads?
Neither Ugly's Electrical References nor Ask BONBON shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ugly's Electrical References or Ask BONBON?
Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, and Ask BONBON every 10 days. Most recently, Ugly's Electrical References was updated on September 24, 2026 and Ask BONBON on September 19, 2026.

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