# iCircuit vs CircuitShepherd

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iCircuit at 61% against CircuitShepherd's 0%. iCircuit also leads on rating (3.8 vs 1.5) and ratings volume (134 vs 2). CircuitShepherd's advantage is price (Free vs $12.99). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

CircuitShepherd is free to download; iCircuit costs $12.99 up front. iCircuit sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and CircuitShepherd sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

iCircuit holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 1.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iCircuit has 134 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 61% of iCircuit's written reviews are positive against 0% of CircuitShepherd's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and June 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iCircuit | CircuitShepherd |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $12.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.8 (134 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icircuit/id383359044/reviews)** | [1.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circuitshepherd/id1598606653/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **134** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **61.1% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#142** | — |
| Size | 126 MB | 49 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.2** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Krueger Systems, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/299293363) | [Josef Woess](https://appshunter.io/developer/1597520399) |

## What reviewers say

### iCircuit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icircuit/id383359044)

**Currently charting:** #142 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Design and simulate analog and digital electronic circuits in real-time. This app offers a comprehensive component library, built-in test equipment, and the ability to create custom elements. It's ideal for learning, prototyping, and validating designs without physical components.

**Highlights:** Real-time circuit simulation, Extensive component library (300+), Built-in test equipment (multimeter, oscilloscope), Programmable Arduino and PIC microcontroller support, Custom element creation and sharing, Audio simulation

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| iCircuit Pro (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| iCircuit Pro (Yearly) | $14.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for learning and testing
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 💡 Programmable Arduino integration
- 👍 Useful for hobbyists and students

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Buggy and crashes frequently
- 🔧 Difficult to edit and delete components
- 🔧 Limited component library
- 🔧 Inaccurate simulation results in some cases

**Reported bugs**

- Oscilloscope and meter functions not working properly
- Saving and loading circuits can be unreliable
- Inconsistent behavior when rotating/flipping components
- Crashes when working with larger or more complex circuits

**Requested features**

- More components (e.g. transformers, triodes, MOSFETs)
- Ability to create custom components
- Frequency domain analysis (Bode plots, FFT)
- Improved wiring and component placement controls
- Better support for AC circuits and motors


### CircuitShepherd

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circuitshepherd/id1598606653)

Automate electronic circuit design with AI-driven parameter optimization. Define schematics and design goals, and the software finds optimal part values in real-time. Save time on calculations and iterations with this intuitive tool.

**Highlights:** Automated parameter optimization, AI-driven circuit engineering, Real-time design goal finding, Intuitive user interface, Schematic definition, Part value calculation

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| full version | $6.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iCircuit free?

iCircuit costs $12.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Is CircuitShepherd free?

CircuitShepherd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, iCircuit or CircuitShepherd?

iCircuit is rated higher. iCircuit averages 3.8 out of 5 from 134 ratings, while CircuitShepherd averages 1.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do iCircuit or CircuitShepherd have ads?

Neither iCircuit nor CircuitShepherd shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iCircuit or CircuitShepherd?

iCircuit ships an update every 3 weeks, and CircuitShepherd every 3 weeks. Most recently, iCircuit was updated on September 24, 2026 and CircuitShepherd on June 4, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*