iSectionLite vs iBeams
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.
iBeams
This tool helps structural engineers visualize and analyze beam behavior. It displays reaction, shear, moment, and deflection diagrams for various configurations. Users can edit load and geometric values for custom analysis.
- Beam and load configuration display
- Reaction, shear, moment, deflection diagrams
- Editable load values
- Editable geometric values
- Structural engineering analysis
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iBeams is a tool for structural engineers. The app displays various beam and load configurations along with the corresponding reaction, shear, moment, and deflection diagrams. Load and geometric values can be edited.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: iBeams at 3.5 against iSectionLite's 2.1. iBeams also leads on update cadence (every 17 months vs every 46 months). iSectionLite's advantage is ratings volume (13 vs 2) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
iBeams holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 2.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iSectionLite has 13 ratings behind it against 2, 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 53% of iBeams's.
iSectionLite ships an update every 46 months, iBeams every 17 months. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iSectionLite | iBeams |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 2.1 (13 ratings) | 3.5 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | 53.3% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 13 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 46 months | Every 17 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 8.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 0 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | ahmj | Norm Schuster |
Customer experience
iSectionLite
iBeams
In-app purchases
iSectionLite
No in-app purchases
iBeams
No in-app purchases








