Comparison

iBend Pipe vs Electrician's Sidekick

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Calculates various conduit bends
  • Supports English and Metric measurements
  • Instant, one-screen calculations
  • Accurate centerline bending radius calculations
  • Includes protractor function
  • Customizable bender profiles
Features
Read full description

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

About

Electrician's Sidekick

This free tool consolidates essential electrical calculations and reference guides into a single app. It offers precise tools for conduit bending, wire sizing, voltage drop, and conduit fill, designed to enhance fieldwork efficiency and accuracy for professionals. The app functions offline, ensuring constant access to critical information.

Highlights
  • Conduit bending calculator
  • Wire sizing and voltage drop calculator
  • Conduit fill calculator
  • Construction calculator (feet/inches)
  • Electrical wiring color charts
  • Digital clinometer (level)
Read full description

Tired of juggling multiple calculators and reference guides on the job? The Electrician's Sidekick app from IDEAL Electrical is a free tool that combines the functions of many electrical calculators into one convenient app. Instantly calculate rolling offsets and bends with the precise conduit bending calculator and integrated level. Determine accurate wire sizing, voltage drop, and conduit fill to meet compliance standards. Designed by pros for pros, this app maximizes your fieldwork efficiency and accuracy from layout to final connection. The calculators continue to function even without internet connectivity, ensuring you always have access to the information you need. Key features include: Connector Selector – input the wire combination and connector style to receive recommendations for the right connector for the job. Wire Sizing & Voltage Drop Calculator – input wire size, voltage, amperage, and length to determine volts and drop percentage. Conduit Bending Calculator – select the type of conduit and desired bend (offset, saddle bend, or rolling offset), then input the angle, offset distance, and clearance. The dynamic display quickly shows the bend required, shrink, and other important information. Conduit Fill Calculator – input the conduit type and the number/size of conductors to calculate the minimum conduit size required for a certain percentage of fill. Construction Calculator – this specialized calculator permits electricians to add and multiply feet and inches and get the answer back in feet and inches. Electrical Wiring Color Charts – provides the wiring code for the various phases in a panel for both 120/280V and 277/480V systems. Clinometer – transform your phone into a digital level with zero/reset options. When placed on a flat surface, it automatically becomes a bubble level. Simplify every job with this all-in-one electrician's companion. Join the thousands of other electricians using the free Electrician’s Sidekick app from IDEAL Electrical. IDEAL Connections– everything you need to know about the IDEAL Connections program. Product information, website and more!

Screenshots

iBend Pipe4 screens
Electrician's Sidekick4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iBend Pipe at 82% against Electrician's Sidekick's 0%. iBend Pipe also leads on rating (4.2 vs 3.5) and update cadence (fortnightly vs every 4 months). Electrician's Sidekick's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 26.0). On ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Electrician's Sidekick is free to download; iBend Pipe costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

iBend Pipe holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iBend Pipe has 101 ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 82% of iBend Pipe's written reviews are positive against 0% of Electrician's Sidekick's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

iBend Pipe ships an update fortnightly, Electrician's Sidekick every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard8 real differences · 3 level
iBend Pipe versus Electrician's Sidekick: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriBend PipeElectrician's Sidekick
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (101 ratings) — better3.5 (16 ratings)
Positive reviews81.7% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings101 — better16
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#7 — better—
DevicesiPhone, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperFrancisco AlcalaIDEAL INDUSTRIES, INC

Customer experience

iBend Pipe

All ratings101 ratings
Positive80.2%
Neutral3.0%
Negative16.8%
Written reviews109 reviews
Positive81.7%
Neutral3.7%
Negative14.7%

Electrician's Sidekick

All ratings16 ratings
Positive56.3%
Neutral6.3%
Negative37.5%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral50.0%
Negative50.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

Electrician's Sidekick

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

iBend Pipe

No in-app purchases

None

Electrician's Sidekick

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iBend Pipe free?
iBend Pipe costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Electrician's Sidekick free?
Electrician's Sidekick is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iBend Pipe or Electrician's Sidekick?
iBend Pipe is rated higher. iBend Pipe averages 4.2 out of 5 from 101 ratings, while Electrician's Sidekick averages 3.5 from 16 ratings.
Do iBend Pipe or Electrician's Sidekick have ads?
Neither iBend Pipe nor Electrician's Sidekick shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iBend Pipe or Electrician's Sidekick?
iBend Pipe ships an update fortnightly, and Electrician's Sidekick every 4 months. Most recently, iBend Pipe was updated on September 23, 2026 and Electrician's Sidekick on September 22, 2026.

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