# iBeams vs PAD Footing

The clearest difference is price: iBeams at Free against PAD Footing's $1.99. iBeams also leads on device support (3 vs 1). PAD Footing's advantage is update cadence (fortnightly vs every 17 months). On rating, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

iBeams is free to download; PAD Footing costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 3.5 for iBeams against 3.5 for PAD Footing. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively.

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, PAD Footing fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iBeams | PAD Footing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeams/id398882202/reviews) | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pad-footing/id6593660696/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 2 |
| 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 | 86 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Norm Schuster](https://appshunter.io/developer/398882205) | [Charles Roberts](https://appshunter.io/developer/1760236245) |

## 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


### PAD Footing

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pad-footing/id6593660696)

This structural design tool analyzes single-column footings for vertical loads and bending moments. It's based on a long-standing program, offering reliable engineering calculations for structural analysis.

**Highlights:** Analyzes single-column footings, Resists vertical loads (Y-direction), Handles bending moments (X & Z directions), Based on established engineering software, Structural analysis calculations

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iBeams free?

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

### Is PAD Footing free?

PAD Footing costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iBeams or PAD Footing?

iBeams and PAD Footing are both rated 3.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 2 ratings respectively.

### Do iBeams or PAD Footing have ads?

Neither iBeams nor PAD Footing shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iBeams or PAD Footing?

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, and PAD Footing fortnightly. Most recently, iBeams was updated on October 5, 2026 and PAD Footing on October 30, 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.*