# iBeams vs Deflection

The clearest difference is price: iBeams at Free against Deflection's $4.99. Deflection's advantage is rating (4.6 vs 3.5) and update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 17 months). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

iBeams is free to download; Deflection costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Deflection holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Deflection has 115 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 53% of iBeams's written reviews are positive against 74% of Deflection's.

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, Deflection every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 1, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | iBeams | Deflection |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $4.99 |
| Rating | [3.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ibeams/id398882202/reviews) | **[4.6 (115 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deflection/id670400597/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 2 | **115** |
| Positive reviews | 53.3% of reviews | **73.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Size | 5 MB | 160 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Norm Schuster](https://appshunter.io/developer/398882205) | [Blue Ketchep](https://appshunter.io/developer/1131834248) |

## 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


### Deflection

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/deflection/id670400597)

Calculate structural behavior for beams, 2D trusses, and 2D frames. Visualize reaction forces, shear, bending moment, and deflection. Analyze internal stresses along the beam and cross-section.

**Highlights:** Beam, 2D truss, and 2D frame analysis, Graphical output of results, Internal shear and bending stress calculation, 2D frame and truss editor, Cross-section editor with automatic calculations, Built-in database and quick-start templates

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iBeams free?

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

### Is Deflection free?

Deflection costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Deflection is rated higher. iBeams averages 3.5 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Deflection averages 4.6 from 115 ratings.

### Do iBeams or Deflection have ads?

Neither iBeams nor Deflection shows ads.

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

iBeams ships an update every 17 months, and Deflection every 6 weeks. Most recently, iBeams was updated on November 1, 2026 and Deflection on November 1, 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.*