# iBeams vs A

The clearest difference is price: iBeams at Free against A's $4.99. iBeams also leads on rating (3.5 vs 2.3) and review sentiment (53% vs 15%). A's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 17 months) and chart position (#191 vs unranked). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

iBeams is free to download; A 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 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of iBeams's written reviews are positive against 15% of A's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | iBeams | A |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | **[3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeams/id398882202/reviews)** | [2.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-truss/id412684176/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **3** |
| Positive reviews | **53.3% of reviews** | 15.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | — | **#191** |
| Size | 5 MB | 47 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-truss/id412684176)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

Analyze 2D truss problems quickly on your mobile device. Create standard or custom truss structures, manage material properties, and generate PDF reports with flexible unit options.

**Highlights:** Standard truss templates (18 types), Custom truss creation, Flexible unit system, Built-in material library, PDF reporting and email export

**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 $4.99, 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 2.3 from 3 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 every 6 weeks. Most recently, iBeams was updated on September 18, 2026 and A 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.*