Comparison

Electrician Handbook vs Electronics Reference

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

Head to head
About

Electrician Handbook

This app provides electricians, students, and installers with essential electrical theory, interactive diagrams, and practical calculators. It includes a community forum for users to share knowledge and seek advice, all accessible offline without ads or subscriptions.

Highlights
  • Electrical theory topics
  • Interactive circuit diagrams
  • Calculators and formulas
  • Community forum
  • Offline access
  • No ads or subscriptions
Features
Read full description

Electrician’s Handbook — an app for electricians, students, and installers. Theory, diagrams, and calculators in one place. Works offline. No ads. No subscriptions. — Theory A variety of topics in electrical engineering: from basic concepts to grounding and lighting diagrams. Some topics include exercises with answers for self-check. — Diagrams Interactive electrical diagrams. You can interact with elements to better understand how they work. — Calculators A section with calculators, formulas, and useful reference tables. — Community A section where users can ask questions, share experience, and get advice from other members. — Contents of the "Theory" section: Basic concepts • Voltage, current, resistance, power • Ohm’s Law, Kirchhoff’s rules • Parallel and series connections • Short circuits, safety precautions • Electrical engineering terms Electromechanical converters • Transformer, generator, electric motor • Connecting a three-phase motor using a capacitor Protection and automation devices • Circuit breaker, RCD, RCBO • Voltage monitoring relay, contactor, fuses • Surge protection devices Cables and wires • Wire connection methods • Selecting cross-section by current and power • Color coding • Electrical panel Power stations and substations • Nuclear, thermal, solar, hydro, wind, and geothermal power stations Measuring instruments • Voltmeter, ammeter, ohmmeter, multimeter • Clamp meter • Electricity meter Grounding • Types of grounding systems • Equipotential bonding system Lighting • Incandescent, LED, and other types of lamps • Lamp holders, bases, lumens, lux • Color temperature • LED strip Work execution • Socket repair • Installation of flush-mounted and surface-mounted sockets • Switch installation Additional information • Power supply categories • Surge overvoltages • IP protection rating • Electrician’s tools • Types of outlets and plugs, voltages in different countries • Joule’s Law, Coulomb’s Law • Right-hand and left-hand rules — Contents of the "Diagrams" section: • Switch (1 and 2 gang) • Three-gang switch • Two-way switch • Two-way switch with intermediate switch • Outlets and switch in one block • Lighting with dimmer • Motion sensor lighting • Relay with light sensor • Lighting with impulse relay • Fluorescent lamp wiring • Socket wiring diagrams • Magnetic starter for motor • Star and delta motor connection — Contents of the "Calculators" section: • Basic formula calculator • Electricity cost calculator • SI unit system and metric prefixes • Diameter ↔ cross-section table • AWG to mm and mm to AWG conversion • Electronic component symbols

About

Electronics Reference

A comprehensive reference tool for electronics enthusiasts and professionals. It provides interactive calculators, decoding guides, and detailed specifications for components, microcontrollers, and development boards. Features include camera-based identification and learning modules for common circuits.

Highlights
  • Interactive resistor color band calculator
  • Capacitor marking decoder
  • Semiconductor reference cards
  • Integrated circuit library with pinouts
  • Microcontroller specifications
  • Development board pinout diagrams
  • Component identification via camera OCR
Features
Read full description

Electronics Component Reference is a beautifully crafted reference app for anyone who works with electronic components - from hobbyists building their first circuit to engineers at the bench. WHAT'S INSIDE • Resistors - Interactive color band calculator with common values and a visual guide to reading 4, 5, and 6-band resistors. • Capacitors - Decode ceramic capacitor markings, explore types, and look up values instantly. • Semiconductors - Reference cards for popular transistors and diodes, with a guide to PN junctions, BJTs, MOSFETs, and more. • Integrated Circuits - Browse a library of common ICs and the complete 74-series logic family, with pinouts and a family comparison guide (HC, LS, AC, LVC). • Microcontrollers - Specs and details for popular chips across ARM, AVR, and Xtensa architectures. • Boards - Pinout diagrams and GPIO references for Raspberry Pi 5 & 4, Pico, Arduino Uno & Nano, and ESP32. • Identify - Point your camera at a component and use OCR to identify ICs, capacitors, and microcontrollers from their markings. • Learn - Interactive common circuits, so you can always have the correct component values. Information on chip families, capacitor types and more., No ads, no account required, no internet needed.

Screenshots

Electrician Handbook4 screens
Electronics Reference4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Electrician Handbook at 1K against Electronics Reference's 1. Electrician Handbook also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). Electronics Reference's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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. Electrician Handbook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Electronics Reference sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Electronics Reference holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Electrician Handbook has 1K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Electrician Handbook ships an update every 2 weeks, Electronics Reference every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Electrician Handbook versus Electronics Reference: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElectrician HandbookElectronics Reference
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1K ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings1K — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size61 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSergey VavaevJohn Kennedy

Customer experience

Electrician Handbook

All ratings986 ratings
Positive94.8%
Neutral2.4%
Negative2.7%
Written reviews103 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral7.8%
Negative13.6%

Electronics Reference

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

Electrician Handbook

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App not launching on certain devices
  • Calculation errors in some modules
  • Inconsistent UI behavior across platforms

Requested features

4 requests
  • More practical examples and tutorials
  • Ability to save and export diagrams
  • Inclusion of industry standards and regulations
  • Integration of testing and simulation tools

Electronics Reference

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Electrician Handbook

One-time1
  • Unlock all features in app$6.99
1 purchases

Electronics Reference

One-time1
  • Buy me a coffee!$0.99

Questions

Is Electrician Handbook free?
Electrician Handbook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Electronics Reference free?
Electronics Reference is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Electrician Handbook or Electronics Reference?
Electronics Reference is rated higher. Electrician Handbook averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Electronics Reference averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Electrician Handbook or Electronics Reference have ads?
Neither Electrician Handbook nor Electronics Reference shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Electrician Handbook or Electronics Reference?
Electrician Handbook ships an update every 2 weeks, and Electronics Reference every 2 months. Most recently, Electrician Handbook was updated on November 3, 2026 and Electronics Reference on November 5, 2026.