Comparison

2017 Master Electrician Ref. vs Wire Color Code

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

Head to head
About

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

This digital handbook provides electricians and related professionals with essential electrical formulas, diagrams, and reference tables. It offers calculations, a dictionary of terms, and detailed information on wiring, motors, transformers, and more, all accessible on a mobile device.

Highlights
  • Electrical formulas and calculations
  • Wiring diagrams for various systems
  • Motor and transformer specifications
  • Conductor and ampacity tables
  • Dictionary of electrician terms
  • NEMA standards and diagrams
  • Math and conversion tools
Features
Read full description

Master Electrician Reference (or MER for short) 2017 is your electronic pocket electrician reference guide. MER is for electrical designers, engineers, installers, contractors, facility managers, inspectors, exam candidates, apprentices, electricians, journeymen, architects, and technicians. MER is for people doing residential, industrial, and commercial work. Simply, if you are a Master Sparky or work with electricity in any way, this reference guide is for you! Have you ever lost pages or had damaged pages in your pocket electricians reference? The solution is here: Use MER to keep the most important information easily accessible on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. MER will even do calculations for you; something your old pocket reference book can't do. MER is divided into the following sections: * Simple Circuits - Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits, capacitance, inductance, impedance, and reactance. * Distributed Systems - Distribution wiring diagrams for 120, 208, 277, and 480 volts, color codes, breaker sizes, light switches and bells diagrams. * Electrical Formulas - Formulas for kVA, kW, and HP. * Color Codes - Color codes for capacitors and resistors. * Motors and Wiring - Standard motor and motor starter sizes, tables of full-load currents, locked-rotor information, overload units, OCPD, nameplate information, synchronous motor speeds, three-phase STAR and DELTA diagrams, three-wire start-stop diagram, motor frame dimensions, and motor enclosure types. * Transformers - KVA ratings for single- and three-phase current, transformer formulas. * Conductor Properties - Conductor tables, AWG and metric wire sizes, twist-on pressure connectors, and wire combinations. * Ampacities - Ampacities in raceway, cable, earth, and free air, and derating tables. * Conduit Fill table * Grounding Sizes - Equipment grounding conductor (EGC) and grounding electrode conductor (GEC). * Metal Boxes - Images and sizes of metal boxes, junction / device boxes, junction / pull boxes. * Voltage Drop calculations * Dictionary of electrician terms * Insulation Charts - Table of cable and wire types * Electrical Symbols * NEMA - Plugs and wiring diagrams, enclosure types, standard underground boxes, standard fuse and breaker sizes, standard pull box / junction sizes, standard gutter and wire-ways, standard switchboards, standard busway, standard busbar ampacity, standard panelboard sizes, and standard disconnect sizes. * Math and Conversions - Formulas for algebra, geometry, fractions, temperature conversion, trig tables, unit conversions, metric prefixes, and conversions between inches and millimeters. * Conduit Bending - Includes the guide "The Master Bender Way" on how to bend conduit. See the Master Bender app or MasterBender.com website for more information. * Conduit Weights * Copper Wire Cost * Hole Saw Sizes * Material Raceway Support * Lighting - Fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, incandescent, LED, and low-pressure sodium. * Standard Tool List * Torque - Lugs, bolts, and screws, tightening torque. * Dry, Damp, and Wet Locations * Hazardous Locations * Wiring Methods * Safety - Lock-out / tag-out (LOTO), and a safety manual and first aid. Most pages contain a general scientific calculator. It is expression based: Just enter an expression and evaluate it. It understands trig and power functions, can convert between radians and degrees, and has built-in basic constants like pi and e. MER includes key NEC tables from the National Electrical Code (NEC) 2017. We also have MER apps available for NEC 2011 and NEC 2014 code years. Visit our website at MasterSparky.com for more information.

About

Wire Color Code

This app helps electricians and DIYers identify electrical wire colors globally. It offers country-specific codes, a large circuit database, and quick search functionality. Customize colors for your projects and enjoy a user-friendly interface for efficient electrical panel wiring.

Highlights
  • Global country-specific wire color codes
  • Extensive circuit database (up to 1000 circuits)
  • Quick search for phase colors
  • Customizable phase colors for projects
  • User-friendly interface
Features
Read full description

Introducing Wire Color Code, your go-to companion for electrical panel wiring across the globe! Whether you're an experienced electrician or a DIY enthusiast, this app is designed to simplify the complexities of circuit identification by adhering to the electrical norms of various countries. Key Features: 1. Global Compatibility: Choose your country from a comprehensive list to access accurate and country-specific wire color codes. Stay compliant with local regulations, ensuring safety and efficiency in your electrical installations. 2. Extensive Circuit Database: Access information for up to 1000 circuits, providing a wealth of data for your wiring projects. Effortlessly navigate through circuit numbers to find the precise color codes you need. 3. Quick Search Functionality: Save time with our intuitive search feature, allowing you to swiftly locate the phase color for a specific circuit number. 4. Customization for Your Project: Tailor the app to match your current project requirements by modifying phase colors. Enhance project organization and clarity by adjusting colors to align with your unique preferences. 5. User-Friendly Interface: Enjoy a sleek and user-friendly design that facilitates easy navigation and quick access to essential information. Why Wire Color Code? Reliability: Trust in accurate and up-to-date wire color information based on local electrical norms. Efficiency: Streamline your workflow and reduce errors with quick access to circuit color codes. Global Applicability: Perfect for electricians working on projects worldwide, ensuring adherence to diverse electrical standards. Stay ahead of the curve in electrical panel wiring with Wire Color Code. Download the app today and experience the convenience of a comprehensive, globally-aware solution for all your circuit identification needs.

Screenshots

2017 Master Electrician Ref.4 screens
Wire Color Code4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Wire Color Code at Free against 2017 Master Electrician Ref.'s $9.99. Wire Color Code also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). 2017 Master Electrician Ref.'s advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and review sentiment (67% vs 43%). On rating, ratings volume, ads 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

Wire Color Code is free to download; 2017 Master Electrician Ref. costs $9.99 up front. Wire Color Code sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. 2017 Master Electrician Ref. asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for 2017 Master Electrician Ref. against 4.6 for Wire Color Code. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1.3K and 999 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 67% of 2017 Master Electrician Ref.'s written reviews are positive against 43% of Wire Color Code's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

2017 Master Electrician Ref. ships an update every 5 months, Wire Color Code every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
2017 Master Electrician Ref. versus Wire Color Code: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameter2017 Master Electrician Ref.Wire Color Code
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.7 (1.3K ratings) — better4.6 (999 ratings)
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better42.9% of reviews
Number of ratings1.3K — better999
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#129 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size46 MB13 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperPawEng, LLCBonsaisoft LLC

Customer experience

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

All ratings1,255 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

Wire Color Code

All ratings999 ratings
Positive90.9%
Neutral1.9%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews14 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral14.3%
Negative42.9%

User reviews

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Quick reference
  • 🚀 Best app for electrical information
  • 🚀 Concise and well-laid out information
  • 🚀 Comprehensive electrical references

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App needs to be updated
  • 🐛 Inaccurate information in some areas
  • 🐛 Limited functionality compared to expectations
  • 🐛 Overlapping table of contents

Wire Color Code

From 999 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Saves time identifying wire colors and circuit numbers
  • 📚 Useful reference tool for electricians
  • 🎯 Helpful for professional electrical work
  • 👍 Intuitive and illustrative design

Room to improve

  • 💰 Hidden costs beyond initial purchase price
  • 🔒 Account/license transfer issues between devices
  • 📉 Limited free version functionality (only 11 circuits)
  • ⚠️ Overpriced for basic information
  • 🎨 Could use better UI/UX design

Bugs and requests

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Conduit fill information missing for certain types
  • Login screen freezes
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Update to latest NEC code
  • Add calculation tools for conduit fill and voltage drop
  • Improve user interface and navigation

Wire Color Code

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • App locks users out after switching phones despite previous purchase
  • License/purchase not properly restored on new devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Ability to change order or hide countries/regions not needed
  • More comprehensive free version with expanded circuit options
  • Better visual design and polish

In-app purchases

None

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Wire Color Code

One-time1
  • Pro Version$9.99

Questions

Is 2017 Master Electrician Ref. free?
2017 Master Electrician Ref. costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Wire Color Code free?
Wire Color Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, 2017 Master Electrician Ref. or Wire Color Code?
2017 Master Electrician Ref. is rated higher. 2017 Master Electrician Ref. averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.3K ratings, while Wire Color Code averages 4.6 from 999 ratings.
Do 2017 Master Electrician Ref. or Wire Color Code have ads?
Neither 2017 Master Electrician Ref. nor Wire Color Code shows ads.
Which is updated more often, 2017 Master Electrician Ref. or Wire Color Code?
2017 Master Electrician Ref. ships an update every 5 months, and Wire Color Code every 2 months. Most recently, 2017 Master Electrician Ref. was updated on September 22, 2026 and Wire Color Code on September 21, 2026.

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