# iBeams vs Rectangular Beam

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iBeams at 53% against Rectangular Beam's 0%. iBeams also leads on price (Free vs $4.99) and rating (3.5 vs 1.0). Rectangular Beam's advantage is update cadence (every 6 months vs every 17 months). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

iBeams is free to download; Rectangular Beam costs $4.99 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 2 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of iBeams's written reviews are positive against 0% of Rectangular Beam's.

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, Rectangular Beam every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iBeams | Rectangular Beam |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeams/id398882202/reviews)** | [1.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rectangular-beam/id1436344246/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| Positive reviews | **53.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 6 months** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 5 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Norm Schuster](https://appshunter.io/developer/398882205) | [Rab Elias](https://appshunter.io/developer/918944482) |

## 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


### Rectangular Beam

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rectangular-beam/id1436344246)

This app assists in the design and analysis of reinforced concrete rectangular beams. It calculates required reinforcement, draws beam sections with rebar details, and provides strain distribution diagrams. Users can also determine crack width and deflection, and generate PDF reports.

**Highlights:** Reinforcement calculation, Beam section drawing, Layer requirement check, Strain distribution diagram, Crack width calculation, Deflection calculation, PDF report generation

**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 Rectangular Beam free?

Rectangular Beam costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iBeams or Rectangular Beam?

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

### Do iBeams or Rectangular Beam have ads?

Neither iBeams nor Rectangular Beam shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iBeams or Rectangular Beam?

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, and Rectangular Beam every 6 months. Most recently, iBeams was updated on September 18, 2026 and Rectangular Beam on September 10, 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.*