# Lineman's Reference vs NCTI

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lineman's Reference at 62% against NCTI's 0%. Lineman's Reference also leads on rating (4.7 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (437 vs 3). NCTI's advantage is price (Free vs $19.99). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

NCTI is free to download; Lineman's Reference costs $19.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Lineman's Reference holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lineman's Reference has 437 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 62% of Lineman's Reference's written reviews are positive against 0% of NCTI's.

Lineman's Reference ships an update every 4 weeks, NCTI every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lineman's Reference | NCTI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.7 (437 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linemans-reference-xfmr-lab/id1583878194/reviews)** | [3.7 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ncti/id1633506386/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **437** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **62.2% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 weeks** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#22** | — |
| Size | 65 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Digital Apprentice LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1565687382) | [NCTI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1633506388) |

## What reviewers say

### Lineman's Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/linemans-reference-xfmr-lab/id1583878194)

**Currently charting:** #22 Top Paid · Education (US App Store)

This app simulates electrical transformer banks, allowing users to practice wiring, metering, fusing, and faulting. It offers guided lessons for beginners and a sandbox mode for advanced customization and scenario-based challenges.

**Highlights:** Transformer bank simulation, Guided training lessons, Customizable sandbox mode, Scenario-based challenges, Interactive wiring and faulting, Progress tracking and quizzes, Reference diagrams and tools

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great for learning
- 👍 Helpful for apprentices
- 👍 Useful practice tool
- 👍 Good concept
- 👍 Excellent labs and sandbox

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Too many bugs
- 🐛 App is clunky
- 🐛 Wiring issues
- 🐛 Incorrect diagrams
- 🐛 Incorrect quiz answers

**Reported bugs**

- Tutorial loop
- Lines not connecting
- Cannot wire up all banks
- WYE Delta is wrong
- Cannot bus secondary x2 to x2 bushing for delta secondaries

**Requested features**

- Ability to build own banks
- Add tap changer settings
- Add vector charts
- Add more labs with different scenarios
- Create your own bank option


### NCTI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ncti/id1633506386)

This app provides a mobile learning experience for students and training coordinators. Students can find, enroll in, and take courses, while coordinators can receive notifications on student progress and milestones. It offers a convenient way to manage educational training on the go.

**Highlights:** Mobile learning experience, Course discovery and enrollment, On-the-go course access, Notifications for enrollments, Notifications for course expirations, Notifications for certifications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lineman's Reference free?

Lineman's Reference costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NCTI free?

NCTI is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Lineman's Reference or NCTI?

Lineman's Reference is rated higher. Lineman's Reference averages 4.7 out of 5 from 437 ratings, while NCTI averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.

### Do Lineman's Reference or NCTI have ads?

Neither Lineman's Reference nor NCTI shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lineman's Reference or NCTI?

Lineman's Reference ships an update every 4 weeks, and NCTI every 2 months. Most recently, Lineman's Reference was updated on November 11, 2026 and NCTI on November 3, 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.*