# iBeams vs A

The clearest difference is price: iBeams at Free against A's $9.99. iBeams also leads on rating (3.5 vs 1.0). A's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 17 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

iBeams is free to download; A costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

iBeams holds the better App Store score, 3.5 against 1.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, A fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iBeams | A |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeams/id398882202/reviews)** | [1.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-frame3d-pro/id1207537713/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 53.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 5 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Norm Schuster](https://appshunter.io/developer/398882205) | [Jutarus Ratanasethakul](https://appshunter.io/developer/1454380236) |

## What reviewers say

### iBeams

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeams/id398882202)

This tool helps structural engineers visualize and analyze beam behavior. It displays reaction, shear, moment, and deflection diagrams for various configurations. Users can edit load and geometric values for custom analysis.

**Highlights:** Beam and load configuration display, Reaction, shear, moment, deflection diagrams, Editable load values, Editable geometric values, Structural engineering analysis

**In-app purchases:** none


### A

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-frame3d-pro/id1207537713)

Analyze complex 3D space frames with this powerful yet easy-to-use application. Input node coordinates, member alignments, and material properties to solve structures and view step-by-step calculations. Visualize deformations and generate shear force and bending moment diagrams.

**Highlights:** 3D space frame analysis, Stiffness Matrix Method, Step-by-step calculation display, Equilibrium check, Deformation visualization, Shear Force & Bending Moment Diagrams

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iBeams free?

iBeams is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is A free?

A costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iBeams or A?

iBeams is rated higher. iBeams averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while A averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do iBeams or A have ads?

Neither iBeams nor A shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iBeams or A?

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, and A fortnightly. Most recently, iBeams was updated on September 18, 2026 and A on September 28, 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.*