# xsec vs CSiSteel

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.

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

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | xsec | CSiSteel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | — | **[5.0 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/csisteel/id1435293643/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **7** |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Size | 28 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 | **9.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Phillip Thompson](https://appshunter.io/developer/1034942656) | [Computers and Structures, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1119970032) |

## What reviewers say

### xsec

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xsec/id1270487040)

**In-app purchases:** none


### CSiSteel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/csisteel/id1435293643)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


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