iBend Pipe vs Ugly's Electrical References
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iBend Pipe
This app simplifies conduit bending calculations for electricians and tradespeople. It offers instant, accurate results for various bend types using English or Metric measurements, with customizable bender profiles and an integrated protractor.
- Calculates various conduit bends
- Supports English and Metric measurements
- Instant, one-screen calculations
- Accurate centerline bending radius calculations
- Includes protractor function
- Customizable bender profiles
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iBend Pipe — Bend It Right the First Time iBend Pipe is a professional conduit bending calculator designed to help electricians make accurate bends faster and reduce wasted material. Whether you're bending a simple offset or laying out a complex compound bend around an obstruction, iBend Pipe gives you the information you need to bend it right—the first time. CONDUIT BENDING CALCULATORS Calculate the following bends using English or Metric measurements: • Offsets — bend toward or away from an obstruction • Rolling Offsets — bend toward or away from an obstruction • Parallel Offset Adjustments • 3-Bend Saddles • 4-Bend Saddles • Segmented Bends • 90° Bends • Back-to-Back 90° Bends • Kicked 90° Bends • Compound 90° Bends around round obstructions • Compound 90° Bends around square obstructions • Compound 90° Bends around rectangular obstructions FAST, ONE-SCREEN CALCULATIONS Enter your measurements and see results update instantly. There’s no need to work through multiple screens just to get a measurement. iBend Pipe is designed to keep the calculation and results visible so you can work quickly and efficiently. Large, easy-to-read measurements make the app practical to use on the job. ACCURATE, PRACTICAL RESULTS iBend Pipe goes beyond basic bending multipliers. Centerline bending radius calculations are available for greater accuracy, and bends automatically account for shrink so you don't have to do the math yourself. Pre-position your bends, plan your layout, and get the information you need before you start bending. What's faster—bending it twice or bending it right the first time? PROTRACTOR INCLUDED Use the built-in protractor to measure your bend angle as you bend. The measured angle can be sent directly back to your calculation, helping you work faster without switching between tools. BENDER PROFILES iBend Pipe includes nearly 100 bender and conduit combinations. You can also customize or modify profiles to match the benders and conduit you use in the field. FRACTIONS, NOT JUST DECIMALS Enter measurements as fractions instead of converting everything to decimals. Get your results in practical measurements you can use on the job. BUILT FOR ELECTRICIANS iBend Pipe is for the electrician who takes pride in their work. If you're the person other electricians come to when they have a difficult bend, this app is for you. If you want less wasted conduit in the bone pile, this app is for you. If you can write your name in conduit, this app is definitely for you. From a first-year apprentice to a seasoned journeyman, iBend Pipe is designed to save time, reduce wasted material, and make difficult conduit bends easier to plan. Bend it right. The first time. Thanks for all the great reviews! If you have questions or suggestions, contact me at: support@ibendpipe.com
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.
- NEC 2026 updates
- Mathematical formulas and calculators
- Conduit bending guide with videos
- Ampacity and conduit fill information
- Wiring diagrams
- Conversion tables
- Works offline
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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
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: iBend Pipe at $4.99 against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. iBend Pipe also leads on review sentiment (82% vs 47%) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 3 months). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is ratings volume (1.5K vs 101) and rating (4.4 vs 4.2). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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
iBend Pipe costs $4.99 and Ugly's Electrical References $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Ugly's Electrical References holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 101, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 82% of iBend Pipe's written reviews are positive against 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iBend Pipe ships an update fortnightly, Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iBend Pipe | Ugly's Electrical References |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $4.99 — better | $12.99 |
| Rating | 4.2 (101 ratings) | 4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.7% of reviews — better | 47.1% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 101 | 1.5K — better |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #8 | #6 — better |
| Devices | iPhone, Apple Watch | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 28 MB | 63 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 9+ |
| Developer | Francisco Alcala | Informed Publishing |
Customer experience
iBend Pipe
Ugly's Electrical References
User reviews
iBend Pipe
From 101 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Saves significant time on job sites
- 📐 Accurate calculations for complex bends
- 👍 User-friendly interface and intuitive design
- 💡 Comprehensive bend types (offsets, saddles, kicks, rolls)
- 🎓 Excellent tool for apprentices and learning
Room to improve
- 🐛 Limited support for rigid conduit (EMT-focused)
- 🐛 Greyed out options without clear explanation
- 🐛 Apple Watch compatibility issues and crashes
- 🐛 Missing app icon after purchase
- 🐛 Inconsistent bender/conduit size detection
Ugly's Electrical References
From 1.5K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Quick reference
- 👍 Helpful for apprentices and journeymen
- 👍 Convenient to have on phone
- 👍 Useful calculators
- 👍 Great resource
Room to improve
- 🐛 Videos/audio not working
- 🐛 Bookmarking issues
- 🐛 Glitchy navigation
- 🐛 Difficult to find information
- 🐛 Annoying review pop-up
Bugs and requests
iBend Pipe
Reported bugs
8 issues- Apple Watch app crashes
- Missing app icon in app library after purchase
- Segment bend calculations producing incorrect developed length
- 4-point saddle measurements (ABCD) potentially inaccurate
- Step-by-step instructions removed in recent update
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- App becomes unresponsive with certain calculations
- Bender type selection not retained between sessions
- Incompatibility with Android version features on iOS
Requested features
17 requests- Apple Watch compatibility and offset calculator
- Support for rigid conduit calculations
- Metric system measurements
- Multi-bend layout (offset + 90 + kick in one stick)
- Parallel offset calculations for different pipe sizes
Show 12 moreShow fewer
- Pipe spacing calculations for panel entry
- Gain calculations for deducts
- Conduit shrink information
- 3-point saddle with step-by-step instructions
- Support for larger pipe sizes (2", 4" etc)
- Hickey bender calculations
- Parker and Swagelok crank bender support
- Hydraulic bender support
- Front of shoe adjustment for table benders
- Ability to select bender and conduit size each time
- Simpler/faster calculation mode option
- Detailed visual descriptions and pictures for bending techniques
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
iBend Pipe
No in-app purchases
Ugly's Electrical References
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iBend Pipe free?
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Which has better reviews, iBend Pipe or Ugly's Electrical References?
Do iBend Pipe or Ugly's Electrical References have ads?
Which is updated more often, iBend Pipe or Ugly's Electrical References?
Which is more popular, iBend Pipe or Ugly's Electrical References?
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