iBeams vs Deflection Lite
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iBeams
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.
- Beam and load configuration display
- Reaction, shear, moment, deflection diagrams
- Editable load values
- Editable geometric values
- Structural engineering analysis
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iBeams is a tool for structural engineers. The app displays various beam and load configurations along with the corresponding reaction, shear, moment, and deflection diagrams. Load and geometric values can be edited.
Deflection Lite
This app provides interactive and precise structural beam analysis. Easily visualize beam bending by dragging loads and supports, and calculate key engineering results like reactions, shear force, and bending moment.
- Interactive beam bending visualization
- Calculate reactions, shear force, and bending moment
- Built-in cross-section databases
- Unlimited loads and supports
- Export design to shareable permalink
- Metric and standard units
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Deflection Lite is the most interactive, fast, and precise app available for structural beam analysis. Simply drag loads and supports on the beam, and see how it bends. RESULTS Calculate reactions, shear force, bending moment, and beam deflection quickly and easily. CROSS SECTION DATABASES Specify elastic modulus and moment of inertia values directly, or find common shapes and materials using the built-in databases, which include most international steel sections, as well as some aluminum and wood shapes. UNLIMITED LOADS AND SUPPORTS Simply drag any load or support on the beam. • Concentrated point loads • Distributed loads • Moment loads • Simple supports • Fixed supports • Fixed hinges • Floating Gerber hinges OTHER FEATURES • Export your design to a permalink that you can share. • Automatic detection of local maxima and minima in diagrams • Metric and standard measurement units CONTACT We like to hear from you! Please email contact@ketchep.com if you have any issues, questions, or comments.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Deflection Lite at 4.5 against iBeams's 3.5. Deflection Lite also leads on update cadence (every 3 months vs every 17 months) and ratings volume (46 vs 2). iBeams's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and review sentiment (53% vs 44%). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Deflection Lite holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Deflection Lite has 46 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 53% of iBeams's written reviews are positive against 44% of Deflection Lite's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
iBeams ships an update every 17 months, Deflection Lite every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iBeams | Deflection Lite |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.5 (2 ratings) | 4.5 (46 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 53.3% of reviews — better | 44.4% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 46 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 17 months | Every 3 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free — better | Paid |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 5 MB | 108 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Norm Schuster | Blue Ketchep |
Customer experience
iBeams
Deflection Lite
In-app purchases
iBeams
No in-app purchases
Deflection Lite
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is iBeams free?
Is Deflection Lite free?
Which has better reviews, iBeams or Deflection Lite?
Do iBeams or Deflection Lite have ads?
Which is updated more often, iBeams or Deflection Lite?
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