Comparison

xsec vs CSiSteel

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

Head to head
About

xsec

Read full description

Beam and column cross-section analysis of reinforced concrete, prestressing etc. Metric or inch-pound. Any shape: input X,Y per corner or bar. Any materials: input a sequence of stress/strain coordinates for each. Any loading; biaxial or not. An innovative cross-section analysis algorithm that is very universal is used. The enterprising design professional can take full advantage of their knowledge of the materials: • to design innovative concrete members, • to assess the remaining strength in irregular shaped surviving parts of deteriorated or damaged beams or columns. The algorithm is described by Thompson, P. J., Discussion of "Ultimate Strength Domain of Reinforced Concrete Sections under Biaxial Bending and Axial Load", ACI Structural Journal, Nov-Dec 2013, pp 1109-1112. There are established computation methods for a variety of cross-section shapes: rectangular, circular and Tee are examples. Also the established methods use a variety of shapes for the stress/strain relationship of concrete: the rectangular stress block, the parabolic stress block, linear, cracked linear are examples. With most of these established methods, if the input to the application is the same as that input to the established method then the results from the application will be the same as those from that established method. Several of the worked examples are taken from previously published articles and illustrate this point. The material description facility is completely general. Material descriptions can be prepared for any locale and any standard design code document. Also once prepared they can be copied from one job to the next. This is one of the benefits of the file read/write facilities in the application. There is a comprehensive user guide and some worked examples on the internet at xsecweb.com.

About

CSiSteel

This app provides a comprehensive library of steel sections and their structural properties. It helps users find optimum sections for design, search for equivalents, and sort by various parameters. Ideal for engineers, suppliers, teachers, and students involved in steel design projects.

Highlights
  • Comprehensive steel section library
  • Find equivalent steel sections
  • Search and sort by section properties
  • Supports ASD and LRFD methods
  • Includes AISC, CISC, and Arcelormittal sections
Read full description

CSiSteel features a comprehensive library of steel sections and their structural properties. From site engineers and suppliers looking for alternative sections based on regional availability, or construction constraints, and structural engineers looking for optimum sections in structural designs to teachers and students for steel design projects. Application/Usage: • Search and select optimum steel sections for steel design procedures, including ASD and LRFD methods • View equivalent sections based on user selection criteria Target Users: • Site engineers, contractors, and steel suppliers looking for alternative sections based on regional availability, or construction constraints • Structural and civil engineers looking for optimum sections for structural modelling and analysis • Teachers and students searching for steel sections in steel design projects Key Features: • Comprehensive library of steel sections including AISC, CISC, and Arcelormittal • Get equivalent sections for user selected sections • Search and sort for sections based on many parameters, including section properties Key Input: • Steel library • Section type, dimensions, or properties • Steel section Key Output: • Steel section • Section dimensions • Section properties • Equivalent steel sections

Screenshots

xsec4 screens
CSiSteel4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: CSiSteel at Free against xsec's $19.99. CSiSteel also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 7 months) and iOS requirement (9.0 vs 11.0). On 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

CSiSteel is free to download; xsec costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

xsec ships an update every 7 months, CSiSteel every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and July 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
xsec versus CSiSteel: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterxsecCSiSteel
Price$19.99Free — better
Rating—5.0 (7 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—7 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.09.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPhillip ThompsonComputers and Structures, Inc.

In-app purchases

None

xsec

No in-app purchases

None

CSiSteel

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is xsec free?
xsec costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is CSiSteel free?
CSiSteel is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do xsec or CSiSteel have ads?
Neither xsec nor CSiSteel shows ads.
Which is updated more often, xsec or CSiSteel?
xsec ships an update every 7 months, and CSiSteel every 3 weeks. Most recently, xsec was updated on September 10, 2026 and CSiSteel on July 5, 2026.

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