Comparison

Electronic Toolbox Pro vs 2017 Master Electrician Ref.

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

Head to head
About

Electronic Toolbox Pro

This comprehensive electronics engineering app provides professionals, hobbyists, and students with a vast array of tools and reference materials. It features a circuit editor, numerous calculation and conversion tools, and extensive component specifications with parametric search capabilities.

Highlights
  • Circuit Editor
  • Component reference with parametric search
  • Numerous calculation tools
  • Unit and HEX/Decimal conversion tools
  • Scientific calculator, frequency generator, oscilloscope
  • Project diagram and document storage
  • Reference tools for major development boards
Read full description

The *** ORIGINAL *** Electronic Toolbox Pro App "The best and most complete Electronics App on the App Store" for Professionals, Hobbyists, Makers, HAMs and Students right at your fingertips! Best of all: Continuously improved since 2009 - FOR FREE - NO IN APP PURCHASE - NO FAKE REVIEWS! What users wrote about this app: Well worth the money ***** I researched all EE apps before buying this one and I have to say that this one is the best by far. The developer is very accommodating to requests and suggestions and provides updates frequently. Very, very happy with this app. Simply brilliant ***** I don't normally review apps but I was so impressed with this one I felt I had to make a brief comment. Buy it, I promise you won't be disappointed. Supports iOS 14 back to iOS 11 and all available Apple iPhone and iPad models. See the online Manual at http://go-to.me/etb-manual Feature Highlights: ■ Circuit Editor ■ Most comprehensive and complete Electronics app available ■ Designed for Novices as well as Experts ■ Numerous individual tools from "A" like ASCII Table to "Z" like Zener Diode calculation. If something is missing, just let me know ■ Provides wide variety of simple and complex tools, such as the resistor color code conversion to the PCB Trace width tools ■ Various calculation tools available, such as the NE555 circuit calculation and the passive cooling calculator ■ Includes reference tools with millions of component specs for ICs, Transistors, FETs, Controllers with parametric searches, pinout and cross reference information, and complete datasheets ■ Provides information about Batteries, Drill sizes, Hybrid Amplifiers, Socket pinouts, package sizes and much more ■ Includes conversion tools, such as the Unit conversion tool, the HEX/Decimal/Float Tool, Frequency and AWG / SWG tools ■ Parametric search for Components with certain specs and cross references ■ Global search for terms or components across all tools ■ Customizable arrangement of tools for quick and easy access ■ Includes a scientific desktop calculator, a frequency generator, and an oscilloscope ■ Comprehensive reference glossary (english only) ■ Content can be updated "over-the-air" and amended quickly and easily ■ Store diagrams, documents, and specs of a project ■ iCloud support ■ No ads or in-app purchases ■ Can be used without Internet access ■ Special keyboard available for quicker entry of SI units ■ And much more... Now also includes reference tools for major boards like RaspBerry Pi, Arduino, BeagleBone, TI-Launchpad, Nano Pi, Orange Pi, Banana Pi, Odroid, Cubieboard and SparkFun! For further information about this App, just have a look at my website: ■ electronic-toolbox.com ■ or just send me an E-mail. The new Version of the app has just been released and as always, this update is FOR FREE to all users of Electronic Toolbox. At this point, many thanks for the ideas and suggestions I have received from the huge user community. You helped me to keep on improving my app with every new update. This App will continue to live and grow over the time. So I still look forward to all additional ideas, suggestions or even criticism so that I can continuously improve my App. Best regards, Marcus Read more on : http://go-to.me/etb

About

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

This digital handbook provides electricians and related professionals with essential electrical formulas, diagrams, and reference tables. It offers calculations, a dictionary of terms, and detailed information on wiring, motors, transformers, and more, all accessible on a mobile device.

Highlights
  • Electrical formulas and calculations
  • Wiring diagrams for various systems
  • Motor and transformer specifications
  • Conductor and ampacity tables
  • Dictionary of electrician terms
  • NEMA standards and diagrams
  • Math and conversion tools
Features
Read full description

Master Electrician Reference (or MER for short) 2017 is your electronic pocket electrician reference guide. MER is for electrical designers, engineers, installers, contractors, facility managers, inspectors, exam candidates, apprentices, electricians, journeymen, architects, and technicians. MER is for people doing residential, industrial, and commercial work. Simply, if you are a Master Sparky or work with electricity in any way, this reference guide is for you! Have you ever lost pages or had damaged pages in your pocket electricians reference? The solution is here: Use MER to keep the most important information easily accessible on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. MER will even do calculations for you; something your old pocket reference book can't do. MER is divided into the following sections: * Simple Circuits - Ohm's law, series and parallel circuits, capacitance, inductance, impedance, and reactance. * Distributed Systems - Distribution wiring diagrams for 120, 208, 277, and 480 volts, color codes, breaker sizes, light switches and bells diagrams. * Electrical Formulas - Formulas for kVA, kW, and HP. * Color Codes - Color codes for capacitors and resistors. * Motors and Wiring - Standard motor and motor starter sizes, tables of full-load currents, locked-rotor information, overload units, OCPD, nameplate information, synchronous motor speeds, three-phase STAR and DELTA diagrams, three-wire start-stop diagram, motor frame dimensions, and motor enclosure types. * Transformers - KVA ratings for single- and three-phase current, transformer formulas. * Conductor Properties - Conductor tables, AWG and metric wire sizes, twist-on pressure connectors, and wire combinations. * Ampacities - Ampacities in raceway, cable, earth, and free air, and derating tables. * Conduit Fill table * Grounding Sizes - Equipment grounding conductor (EGC) and grounding electrode conductor (GEC). * Metal Boxes - Images and sizes of metal boxes, junction / device boxes, junction / pull boxes. * Voltage Drop calculations * Dictionary of electrician terms * Insulation Charts - Table of cable and wire types * Electrical Symbols * NEMA - Plugs and wiring diagrams, enclosure types, standard underground boxes, standard fuse and breaker sizes, standard pull box / junction sizes, standard gutter and wire-ways, standard switchboards, standard busway, standard busbar ampacity, standard panelboard sizes, and standard disconnect sizes. * Math and Conversions - Formulas for algebra, geometry, fractions, temperature conversion, trig tables, unit conversions, metric prefixes, and conversions between inches and millimeters. * Conduit Bending - Includes the guide "The Master Bender Way" on how to bend conduit. See the Master Bender app or MasterBender.com website for more information. * Conduit Weights * Copper Wire Cost * Hole Saw Sizes * Material Raceway Support * Lighting - Fluorescent, high-intensity discharge, incandescent, LED, and low-pressure sodium. * Standard Tool List * Torque - Lugs, bolts, and screws, tightening torque. * Dry, Damp, and Wet Locations * Hazardous Locations * Wiring Methods * Safety - Lock-out / tag-out (LOTO), and a safety manual and first aid. Most pages contain a general scientific calculator. It is expression based: Just enter an expression and evaluate it. It understands trig and power functions, can convert between radians and degrees, and has built-in basic constants like pi and e. MER includes key NEC tables from the National Electrical Code (NEC) 2017. We also have MER apps available for NEC 2011 and NEC 2014 code years. Visit our website at MasterSparky.com for more information.

Screenshots

Electronic Toolbox Pro4 screens
2017 Master Electrician Ref.4 screens

Verdict

The call

Electronic Toolbox Pro and 2017 Master Electrician Ref. both sit at 4.7 stars, but that hides the real split: 93% of Electronic Toolbox Pro's written reviews are positive against 67% of 2017 Master Electrician Ref.'s. Electronic Toolbox Pro also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months). 2017 Master Electrician Ref.'s advantage is price ($9.99 vs $12.99) and ratings volume (1.3K vs 245). On rating, 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

Electronic Toolbox Pro costs $12.99 and 2017 Master Electrician Ref. $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Electronic Toolbox Pro against 4.7 for 2017 Master Electrician Ref.. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: 2017 Master Electrician Ref. has 1.3K ratings behind it against 245, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 93% of Electronic Toolbox Pro's written reviews are positive against 67% of 2017 Master Electrician Ref.'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Electronic Toolbox Pro ships an update every 2 months, 2017 Master Electrician Ref. every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Electronic Toolbox Pro versus 2017 Master Electrician Ref.: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterElectronic Toolbox Pro2017 Master Electrician Ref.
Price$12.99$9.99 — better
Rating4.7 (245 ratings)4.7 (1.3K ratings)
Positive reviews92.6% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings2451.3K — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS11.1 — better12.0
Further details — not scored
Size201 MB46 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperMarcus RoskoschPawEng, LLC

Customer experience

Electronic Toolbox Pro

All ratings245 ratings
Positive93.9%
Neutral0.8%
Negative5.3%
Written reviews323 reviews
Positive92.6%
Neutral1.9%
Negative5.6%

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

All ratings1,255 ratings
Positive92.7%
Neutral3.4%
Negative3.9%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

User reviews

Electronic Toolbox Pro

From 245 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Comprehensive database
  • 🔍 Detailed component information
  • 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
  • ⚡ Frequent updates
  • 🛠️ Useful calculators and tools

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
  • 🔍 Missing some component data
  • 🔌 Compatibility issues on older devices

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

From 1.3K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Quick reference
  • 🚀 Best app for electrical information
  • 🚀 Concise and well-laid out information
  • 🚀 Comprehensive electrical references

Room to improve

  • 🐛 App needs to be updated
  • 🐛 Inaccurate information in some areas
  • 🐛 Limited functionality compared to expectations
  • 🐛 Overlapping table of contents

Bugs and requests

Electronic Toolbox Pro

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Equation disappearing in calculator
  • Circuit editor not working with touch input

Requested features

4 requests
  • More microcontroller and SBC support
  • Circuit simulation and design capabilities
  • Educational resources and tutorials
  • Improved circuit editor functionality

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Conduit fill information missing for certain types
  • Login screen freezes
  • Compatibility issues with older devices

Requested features

3 requests
  • Update to latest NEC code
  • Add calculation tools for conduit fill and voltage drop
  • Improve user interface and navigation

In-app purchases

None

Electronic Toolbox Pro

No in-app purchases

None

2017 Master Electrician Ref.

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Electronic Toolbox Pro free?
Electronic Toolbox Pro costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is 2017 Master Electrician Ref. free?
2017 Master Electrician Ref. costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Electronic Toolbox Pro or 2017 Master Electrician Ref.?
Electronic Toolbox Pro and 2017 Master Electrician Ref. are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 245 and 1.3K ratings respectively.
Do Electronic Toolbox Pro or 2017 Master Electrician Ref. have ads?
Neither Electronic Toolbox Pro nor 2017 Master Electrician Ref. shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Electronic Toolbox Pro or 2017 Master Electrician Ref.?
Electronic Toolbox Pro ships an update every 2 months, and 2017 Master Electrician Ref. every 5 months. Most recently, Electronic Toolbox Pro was updated on October 20, 2026 and 2017 Master Electrician Ref. on October 18, 2026.

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