Comparison

iSectionLite vs iBeams

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

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.

Highlights
  • Beam and load configuration display
  • Reaction, shear, moment, deflection diagrams
  • Editable load values
  • Editable geometric values
  • Structural engineering analysis
Read full description

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

iSectionLite2 screens
iBeams4 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
iSectionLite versus iBeams: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriSectionLiteiBeams
PriceFreeFree
Rating2.1 (13 ratings)3.5 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews53.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings13 — better2
Update frequencyEvery 46 monthsEvery 17 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB5 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperahmjNorm Schuster

Customer experience

iSectionLite

All ratings13 ratings
Positive23.1%
Neutral7.7%
Negative69.2%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

iBeams

All ratings2 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive53.3%
Neutral33.3%
Negative13.3%

In-app purchases

None

iSectionLite

No in-app purchases

None

iBeams

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iSectionLite free?
iSectionLite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is iBeams free?
iBeams is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iSectionLite or iBeams?
iBeams is rated higher. iSectionLite averages 2.1 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while iBeams averages 3.5 from 2 ratings.
Do iSectionLite or iBeams have ads?
Neither iSectionLite nor iBeams shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iSectionLite or iBeams?
iSectionLite ships an update every 46 months, and iBeams every 17 months. Most recently, iSectionLite was updated on October 6, 2026 and iBeams on October 5, 2026.

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