Comparison

Electric Color Code vs Ugly's Electrical References

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

Head to head
About

Electric Color Code

This app helps electricians and construction workers quickly identify the color codes for electrical conductors in US single or three-phase systems. It's a straightforward tool designed for efficiency on the job.

Highlights
  • US conductor color code lookup
  • Single phase system support
  • Three phase system support
  • Fast and easy to use
  • For electricians and construction
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Electric Color Code is a simple application to find out the color code of the conductors used in United States. For single or three phase system. Fast and easy application for electricians and construction workers to get the job done.

About

Ugly's Electrical References

This app provides electricians and electrical professionals with up-to-date digital information based on the National Electrical Code. It includes formulas, wiring diagrams, conduit bending guides, and calculators for various electrical calculations. The app is designed for on-the-job reference and works offline.

Highlights
  • NEC 2026 updates
  • Mathematical formulas and calculators
  • Conduit bending guide with videos
  • Ampacity and conduit fill information
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Conversion tables
  • Works offline
Features
Read full description

The Ugly's Electrical References App has been updated to reflect changes to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) and the 2026 Edition of our popular Ugly’s Electrical References book. The Ugly’s App offers the most pertinent, up-to-date digital information for electricians, including table change information, mathematical formulas; National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) wiring configurations; a conduit bending guide with videos, ampacity and conduit fill information, transformer and control circuit wiring diagrams, and conversion tables. The 2026 Edition: * Reflects changes to the 2026 NEC * Features expanded coverage of the following topics: * Full-load currents for 3-phase transformers  * Maximum number of conductors in electrical metallic tubing for trade sizes 5 and 6  * Equipment grounding conductors  * General lighting loads for non-dwelling occupancies  * Overview of important NEC code changes from 2020, 2023 and 2026  Electricians and electrical professionals have used ‘Ugly’s Electrical References’ book as their on-the-job reference for over 35 years. This app will serve you even better in the field today.  FEATURING Calculators and Interactive Features • Ohm’s Law Calculator • Voltage Drop Calculator • Ampacity Calculator • To Find: Amps, Watts, Horsepower, KVA • To Find: Inductance, Impedance, Reactance • Three-phase AC Motor Data: Starter, Breaker, Heater, Wire, and Conduit Size • Power Factor Correction • Full Load Current for Motors and Transformers • Locked-Rotor Current Calculator • Offset Bending Calculator • Conduit Fill Calculator • Conversions for Area, Length, Temperature, Time, Volume, and Weight • NEMA Wiring Configurations *Pinch & Zoom for improved readability *Conduit Bending Video Tutorials *Search function helps you quickly find what you need to know *NEC Updater outlines and explains changes to the National Electrical Code© *Electrical Safety including definitions, boundaries, procedures, PPE guidance, and life-saving *First aid procedures *Blueprint symbol identifier *Bookmark your commonly used screens *High-definition images and interactive tables that can be zoomed in for detail *Works offline *Great for electricians, students, engineers, contractors, maintenance workers, and military Interested in a buying more than one copy of the Ugly’s Electrical Reference app for your commercially owned devices? Please email info[at]uglys[dot]net for details on volume purchases. Privacy Policy - http://www.jblearning.com/privacy/ Terms of Service - http://www.jblearning.com/use/ Support – http://www.uglys.net/appsupport The Ugly’s Electrical Reference app is part of the popular Ugly’s Professional Reference® series, which is an imprint of Jones & Bartlett Learning. National Electrical Code and NFPA 70 are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Agency and are not associated with Ugly’s Electrical References in any way.

Screenshots

Electric Color Code4 screens
Ugly's Electrical References4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Electric Color Code at $0.99 against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. Electric Color Code also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.6) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 19). On review sentiment, 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

Electric Color Code costs $0.99 and Ugly's Electrical References $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ugly's Electrical References holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 43% of Electric Color Code's written reviews are positive against 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Electric Color Code ships an update every 8 months, Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 9, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Electric Color Code versus Ugly's Electrical References: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElectric Color CodeUgly's Electrical References
Price$0.99 — better$12.99
Rating3.6 (19 ratings)4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews42.9% of reviews47.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings191.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 8 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#53#7 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB63 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperDAE J MYUNGInformed Publishing

Customer experience

Electric Color Code

All ratings19 ratings
Positive63.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.8%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive42.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative57.1%

Ugly's Electrical References

All ratings1,495 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral16.9%
Negative36.0%

Bugs and requests

Electric Color Code

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Ugly's Electrical References

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Videos not playing
  • Bookmarks not working correctly
  • Navigation issues causing app crashes
  • Incorrect calculation results

Requested features

5 requests
  • Zoom functionality
  • Better search capabilities
  • Spanish language support
  • Offline access to full content
  • Improved bookmarking system

In-app purchases

None

Electric Color Code

No in-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Electric Color Code free?
Electric Color Code costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Electric Color Code or Ugly's Electrical References?
Ugly's Electrical References is rated higher. Electric Color Code averages 3.6 out of 5 from 19 ratings, while Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Electric Color Code or Ugly's Electrical References have ads?
Neither Electric Color Code nor Ugly's Electrical References shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Electric Color Code or Ugly's Electrical References?
Electric Color Code ships an update every 8 months, and Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Most recently, Electric Color Code was updated on October 9, 2026 and Ugly's Electrical References on October 13, 2026.
Which is more popular, Electric Color Code or Ugly's Electrical References?
Electric Color Code currently peaks at #53 in the App Store charts, and Ugly's Electrical References at #7. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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