Comparison

Ugly's Electrical References vs Beckify

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

Beckify

A native iPhone and iPad field electrical toolbox for engineers and technicians. It offers jobsite calculators, power tools, and control system aids. The app also includes basic electrical references and saved job functionality.

Highlights
  • Jobsite calculators (voltage drop, wire size, conduit fill)
  • Motor nameplate analyzer
  • Power tools for AC/DC, transformers, solar design
  • Control system tools (4-20mA scaling, PID)
  • Network instrument tools (Wi-Fi/Cellular Path)
  • Electrical basics and references
  • Saved jobs and favorites
Features
Read full description

Beckify puts the calculations and references you reach for on the job into one fast toolbox. Size a feeder, check a raceway, look up motor current, or work through a control loop without digging through tables or switching between a dozen apps. SEE THE RESULT, NOT JUST THE NUMBER Conduit Fill draws the raceway cross-section with every conductor inside it, shows percent fill against the allowed limit, and gives you a clear pass or fail. Conductor sizing ranks parallel-set options by modeled first-cost so you can compare choices side by side. Share any chart or cross-section as an image straight from the tool. JOBSITE TOOLS - Voltage drop - Wire size and ampacity - Conduit fill with a live cross-section - Conductor cost comparison - Motor FLA tables - Receptacle and jobsite references - Spanish translator POWER AND AC - kVA and transformer calculations - Reactance and resonance - Solar and UPS calculations - Magnetics Lab and magnetic circuits CONTROLS - Control-system step response: compare open loop, P, PI, and PID on one plot - Loops, panels, phasors, and Modbus references ELECTRONICS ESSENTIALS - Ohm's law: solve any two of V, I, and R - Voltage divider - Series and parallel resistors and capacitors - Resistor color code, 4-band and 5-band - 555 timer, astable and monostable - Frequency, wavelength, and LC resonance - LED current-limit resistor and RC time constant - Unit converter: SI prefixes, dB, temperature, length, mils/mm - Circuit explorer with schematic and breadboard views INSTRUMENTS Turn your iPhone's sensors into quick field checks: - Wi-Fi and cellular path: connection status, signal, and round-trip time - BLE scanner for nearby Bluetooth activity - Noise meter and acoustic imager with a live spectrum - Level history you can drag to read and pinch to zoom - Bubble level for pitch, roll, and plumb - Magnetometer with heading and field strength BUILT FOR THE FIELD - Search every tool instantly - Pin the tools you use most and jump back to recent ones - Tools organized into shelves: Jobsite, Power & AC, Controls, and more - Favorites and Jobs tabs to keep your work close - One-tap examples to see how each tool works - Copy any answer to paste into notes, texts, or reports - Dark interface that is easy on the eyes on site Beckify is a reference and calculation aid. Always verify results against the code edition adopted in your jurisdiction, manufacturer data, and your authority having jurisdiction. Phone-based instruments are uncalibrated and intended for quick checks, not certified measurement.

Screenshots

Ugly's Electrical References4 screens
Beckify4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Beckify at Free against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. Beckify 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 ratings volume (1.5K vs 2) and chart position (#6 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, 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

Beckify 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Beckify 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, Beckify every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Ugly's Electrical References versus Beckify: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterUgly's Electrical ReferencesBeckify
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating4.4 (1.5K ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews47.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.5K — better2
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#6 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS1717.0
Further details — not scored
Size63 MB14 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperInformed PublishingTrevor Beck

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%

Beckify

All ratings2 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

Beckify

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

None

Beckify

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Beckify free?
Beckify is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Ugly's Electrical References or Beckify?
Beckify is rated higher. Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 out of 5 from 1.5K ratings, while Beckify averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do Ugly's Electrical References or Beckify have ads?
Neither Ugly's Electrical References nor Beckify shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Ugly's Electrical References or Beckify?
Ugly's Electrical References ships an update every 3 months, and Beckify every 9 days. Most recently, Ugly's Electrical References was updated on October 18, 2026 and Beckify on October 4, 2026.

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