iSectionLite vs steelyard
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iSectionLite
This engineering app calculates mechanical and structural properties for built-up section members. It supports various international steel shapes and allows input and output in both metric and imperial units.
- Calculates moment of inertia, modulus of section, radius of gyration, area, and weight
- Supports European, American, Canadian, and British steel shapes
- Input and output in mm or inch units
- Calculations in principal axes
- Light version with limitations on hot rolled library and flange dimensions
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iSection: For all structural engineers, steel designers, mechanical engineers: This engineering application for the iPhone or the iPod Touch calculates the mechanical and structural properties of three-plate built up section members. That includes moment of inertia, modulus of section, radius of gyration, area and weight. The calculations are done in both principal axes. This program is particularly useful for analysis and design of indeterminate structures and for calculating actual and allowable (permissible) stresses of structural members (beams, columns, etc.). The input is top flange width, top flange thickness, bottom flange width, bottom flange thickness, web depth and web thickness. The top flange and bottom flange dimensions can vary. You can select a section from a large library of hot rolled shapes: European IPE, HEA, HEB, HEM and American W shapes Canadian W metric shapes and British universal beams and columns (UB and UC shapes). More shapes from other countries will be added in the next releases. The input can be in mm or inch units, the output of area, Ixx, Sxx, Sxt, Sxb, Iyy, Iyt, Iyb, Syy rx, ry, rt, rb, Syt, Syb, depth and neutral axis can be displayed in mm or inch units. The weight can be displayed in kg/m or Lb/ft. This is a light version with limitations: The hot rolled library contains selected American shapes only and the built up section can have only equal top and bottom flanges. For the full version see iSection in the App Store. See also iConcrete in the App Store which designs single and double reinforced concrete rectangular and T beams.
steelyard
This app quickly calculates the weight of steel sections from various international standards. It supports both metric and imperial units and offers offline functionality for convenience. Save your settings and calculations for easy access.
- Steel section weight calculation
- Supports EU, USA, Japanese, KOREA standards
- Metric and Imperial units
- Offline functionality
- Save calculations and settings
- Advanced search system
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Steelyard: The Ultimate Metal Mass & Cost Calculator Precision matters. Whether you’re a structural engineer, a metal fabricator, or a scrap dealer, Steelyard turns your smartphone into a heavy-duty industrial scale. Stop guessing and start calculating with the most intuitive interface on the market. iron, aluminum, copper, brass, density, structural, engineer, fabrication, rebar, tube, kg, lbs, construction, gauge, volume, materials, h-beam, u-beam From standard sheets to complex industrial sections, Steelyard handles: Structural Beams: I-Beam, H-Beam, U-Channel, and T-Bars. Tubes & Pipes: Round, square, and rectangular hollow sections. Rods & Bars: Hexagonal, round, and flat bars. Custom Profiles: Input your own dimensions for specialized sections. Massive Material Database: metals including Steel, Aluminum, Copper, Brass, Titanium, and Lead. Live Price Estimator: Input the price per unit to get instant total project costs. Dual Unit Support: Seamlessly toggle between Metric (kg, mm, m) and Imperial (lbs, in, ft). History Log: Save your previous calculations for quick reference later. Offline Mode: Works in the workshop or on-site without an internet connection. "Steelyard is built for the floor, not just the office. Big buttons, high-contrast text, and zero fluff."
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: steelyard at 4.7 against iSectionLite's 2.1. steelyard also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 46 months) and ratings volume (297 vs 13). iSectionLite's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 16.6). On price, review sentiment, 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
Both are free to download. steelyard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. iSectionLite asks for nothing beyond the download.
steelyard holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: steelyard has 297 ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of iSectionLite's written reviews are positive against 56% of steelyard's.
iSectionLite ships an update every 46 months, steelyard every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iSectionLite | steelyard |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (13 ratings) | 4.7 (297 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 55.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 | 297 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 46 months | Every 2 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 0 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ahmj | Mohamed Saad |
Customer experience
iSectionLite
steelyard
In-app purchases
iSectionLite
No in-app purchases
steelyard
- Ad Blocker$9.99
Questions
Is iSectionLite free?
Is steelyard free?
Which has better reviews, iSectionLite or steelyard?
Do iSectionLite or steelyard have ads?
Which is updated more often, iSectionLite or steelyard?
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