# BeamsForBuilders vs Beam Engineering lite

The clearest difference is price: Beam Engineering lite at Free against BeamsForBuilders's $2.99. Beam Engineering lite also leads on rating (4.4 vs 1.0) and update cadence (every 5 months vs every 20 months). BeamsForBuilders's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On device support there is nothing between them.

Beam Engineering lite is free to download; BeamsForBuilders costs $2.99 up front. Beam Engineering lite sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BeamsForBuilders asks for nothing beyond the download.

Beam Engineering lite holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 1.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Beam Engineering lite has 32 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 33% of BeamsForBuilders's written reviews are positive against 0% of Beam Engineering lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

BeamsForBuilders ships an update every 20 months, Beam Engineering lite every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | BeamsForBuilders | Beam Engineering lite |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $2.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [1.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beamsforbuilders/id386379301/reviews) | **[4.4 (32 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-engineering-lite/id1048358824/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **32** |
| Positive reviews | **33.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 20 months | **Every 5 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Size | 10 MB | 48 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Robert Thompson](https://appshunter.io/developer/364220435) | [V PUGAZHENTHI](https://appshunter.io/developer/491898049) |

## What reviewers say

### BeamsForBuilders

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beamsforbuilders/id386379301)

Calculate beam properties for construction projects instantly. Input load data for roofs, floors, and walls to get results for shear force, moment, buckling, and deflection. Easily email results for printing and submission.

**Highlights:** Roof, floor, and wall load input, Instant shear force, moment, buckling, and deflection results, Beam span and selection, Padstone calculations, Email results for printing, Help files for each section

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Beam Engineering lite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beam-engineering-lite/id1048358824)

This app provides 34 civil engineering calculators for beam analysis and conversion, referencing industry codes. It offers auto-fill options for material and section pickers and supports dual units. A pro version unlocks unlimited calculations, history, and PDF exports.

**Highlights:** 34 civil engineering calculators, AISC, ACI, ASCE code references, Auto-fill section and material pickers, Metric and Imperial units, Calculation history, PDF export, Dark mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beam Engineering Pro | $2.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is BeamsForBuilders free?

BeamsForBuilders costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Beam Engineering lite free?

Beam Engineering lite is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, BeamsForBuilders or Beam Engineering lite?

Beam Engineering lite is rated higher. BeamsForBuilders averages 1.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Beam Engineering lite averages 4.4 from 32 ratings.

### Do BeamsForBuilders or Beam Engineering lite have ads?

Beam Engineering lite shows ads; BeamsForBuilders does not.

### Which is updated more often, BeamsForBuilders or Beam Engineering lite?

BeamsForBuilders ships an update every 20 months, and Beam Engineering lite every 5 months. Most recently, BeamsForBuilders was updated on October 1, 2026 and Beam Engineering lite on October 7, 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.*