Comparison

Electrician's Sidekick vs SparkShift

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

Head to head
About

Electrician's Sidekick

This free tool consolidates essential electrical calculations and reference guides into a single app. It offers precise tools for conduit bending, wire sizing, voltage drop, and conduit fill, designed to enhance fieldwork efficiency and accuracy for professionals. The app functions offline, ensuring constant access to critical information.

Highlights
  • Conduit bending calculator
  • Wire sizing and voltage drop calculator
  • Conduit fill calculator
  • Construction calculator (feet/inches)
  • Electrical wiring color charts
  • Digital clinometer (level)
Features
Read full description

Tired of juggling multiple calculators and reference guides on the job? The Electrician's Sidekick app from IDEAL Electrical is a free tool that combines the functions of many electrical calculators into one convenient app. Instantly calculate rolling offsets and bends with the precise conduit bending calculator and integrated level. Determine accurate wire sizing, voltage drop, and conduit fill to meet compliance standards. Designed by pros for pros, this app maximizes your fieldwork efficiency and accuracy from layout to final connection. The calculators continue to function even without internet connectivity, ensuring you always have access to the information you need. Key features include: Connector Selector – input the wire combination and connector style to receive recommendations for the right connector for the job. Smart Meter Connectivity - Connect compatible IDEAL smart test instruments to automatically capture measurements, monitor readings in real time, and document results directly from your mobile device. Wire Sizing & Voltage Drop Calculator – input wire size, voltage, amperage, and length to determine volts and drop percentage. Conduit Bending Calculator – select the type of conduit and desired bend (offset, saddle bend, or rolling offset), then input the angle, offset distance, and clearance. The dynamic display quickly shows the bend required, shrink, and other important information. Conduit Fill Calculator – input the conduit type and the number/size of conductors to calculate the minimum conduit size required for a certain percentage of fill. Construction Calculator – this specialized calculator permits electricians to add and multiply feet and inches and get the answer back in feet and inches. Electrical Wiring Color Charts – provides the wiring code for the various phases in a panel for both 120/280V and 277/480V systems. Clinometer – transform your phone into a digital level with zero/reset options. When placed on a flat surface, it automatically becomes a bubble level. Simplify every job with this all-in-one electrician's companion. Join the thousands of other electricians using the free Electrician’s Sidekick app from IDEAL Electrical. DATA COMM - T568A/T568B Wiring Reference and conduit fill calculator for data cables. Box Fill Calculator - Calculate NEC® box fill requirements in seconds. Account for conductors, devices, grounding conductors, cable clamps, fixture studs, and plaster rings while instantly verifying box capacity and available volume.

About

SparkShift

This app helps electricians streamline OJT logging, jobsite organization, and exam preparation. It provides field calculators and reference tools, consolidating essential resources for apprentices and journeymen in one place.

Highlights
  • Log OJT and work hours
  • Field calculators for electrical work
  • Journeyman and master exam practice
  • Organize jobsite details and notes
  • Track apprenticeship progress
  • Export hour records
Read full description

SparkShift helps electricians stop rebuilding hours from memory: log OJT records, organize jobsites, open field calculators, and study for exams from one jobsite-ready app. Built for electrical apprentices, journeymen, foremen, and contractors, SparkShift keeps the paperwork and reference tools you already reach for close to the work. OJT AND WORK HOURS - Log apprenticeship and work hours from your phone - Add timestamps, notes, work categories, and optional location context - Track progress across union and merit-shop workflows - Review and export hour records before sharing with a training program, employer, union local, contractor, state board, or provincial authority FIELD CALCULATORS AND REFERENCES - Use NEC/CEC-aware calculators for common electrical work - Check voltage drop, conduit fill, box fill, wire sizing, load calculations, and other field references - Keep practical code-study tools nearby when service is weak or you are moving between jobsites EXAM PREP - Practice journeyman and master exam questions - Review explanations, study notes, and confidence feedback - Keep prep connected to the same trade record you use in the field JOBSITES, CREWS, AND RECORDS - Organize jobsite details, schedules, absences, and field notes - Support submitted-hour review and crew visibility for foremen and contractor workflows - Keep certifications, work history, community, and career tools in one electrician-first system SparkShift was built from real jobsite paperwork pain: lost logs, rebuilt hours, scattered notes, and reference tools spread across too many apps. IMPORTANT LIMITS SparkShift is a recordkeeping and workflow tool. It is not a licensing board, apprenticeship sponsor, employer of record, payroll provider, legal advisor, code authority, inspector, or safety authority. Requirements vary by jurisdiction, training program, employer, union local, province, state, and storefront. Always verify current rules before relying on an export, calculation, report, or submission. LEGAL Privacy Policy: https://sparkshift.app/privacy Terms of Service: https://sparkshift.app/terms Community Guidelines: https://sparkshift.app/community-guidelines Support: https://sparkshift.app/contact

Screenshots

Electrician's Sidekick4 screens
SparkShift4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SparkShift at 5.0 against Electrician's Sidekick's 3.6. SparkShift also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 4 months). Electrician's Sidekick's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4) and ratings volume (18 vs 3). On price, 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

Both are free to download. SparkShift sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Electrician's Sidekick asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SparkShift holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Electrician's Sidekick has 18 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Electrician's Sidekick ships an update every 4 months, SparkShift every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Electrician's Sidekick versus SparkShift: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElectrician's SidekickSparkShift
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.6 (18 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings18 — better3
Update frequencyEvery 4 monthsEvery 9 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better16.2
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB199 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIDEAL INDUSTRIES, INCSPARKSHIFT LLC

Customer experience

Electrician's Sidekick

All ratings18 ratings
Positive55.6%
Neutral11.1%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative33.3%

SparkShift

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Electrician's Sidekick

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

SparkShift

Subscriptions4
  • Journeyman Month$0.991 Month
  • Apprentice Month Subscription$6.991 Month
  • Journeyman Year Subscription$29.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Apprentice Yearly Sub$69.991 Year

Questions

Is Electrician's Sidekick free?
Electrician's Sidekick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SparkShift free?
SparkShift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Electrician's Sidekick or SparkShift?
SparkShift is rated higher. Electrician's Sidekick averages 3.6 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while SparkShift averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Electrician's Sidekick or SparkShift have ads?
Neither Electrician's Sidekick nor SparkShift shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Electrician's Sidekick or SparkShift?
Electrician's Sidekick ships an update every 4 months, and SparkShift every 9 days. Most recently, Electrician's Sidekick was updated on October 24, 2026 and SparkShift on October 13, 2026.

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