Comparison

Circuit Colors vs Ugly's Electrical References

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Circuit Colors

Quickly determine the phase color for any circuit number across various international electrical systems. This app simplifies electrical work by eliminating the need for manual calculations or reference sheets.

Highlights
  • Determine phase color by circuit number
  • Supports US, Canada, EU, and UK systems
  • Add unlimited electrical panels
  • Configurable single or three-phase
  • Customizable phase color combinations
  • Multiple circuit numbering styles
  • Supports 4 to 1000 circuits
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Know the phase color. Instantly. Circuit Colors takes the guesswork out of determining phase colors for any circuit number. No cheat sheets. No mental calculations. No searching through tables. Just enter your panel configuration and circuit number, and Circuit Colors gives you the correct phase color instantly. Built for electricians. Built for real-world panels. • Supports US, Canada, EU & UK systems • Single-phase and three-phase panels • Add as many panels as you need • Choose from multiple phase-color combinations • Supports circuit numbering from 4 to 1,000 • Single-sided and double-sided panel layouts • Multiple numbering styles, including conventional zig-zag numbering Whether you're troubleshooting, installing, labeling, or working in an unfamiliar panel, Circuit Colors puts the answer right at your fingertips. Stop carrying the cheat sheet. Stop doing the math. Just enter the circuit number and get the color.

About

Ugly's Electrical References

This app provides electricians and electrical professionals with up-to-date digital information based on the National Electrical Code. It includes formulas, wiring diagrams, conduit bending guides, and calculators for various electrical calculations. The app is designed for on-the-job reference and works offline.

Highlights
  • NEC 2026 updates
  • Mathematical formulas and calculators
  • Conduit bending guide with videos
  • Ampacity and conduit fill information
  • Wiring diagrams
  • Conversion tables
  • Works offline
Features
Read full description

The Ugly's Electrical References App has been updated to reflect changes to the 2026 National Electrical Code (NEC) and the 2026 Edition of our popular Ugly’s Electrical References book. The Ugly’s App offers the most pertinent, up-to-date digital information for electricians, including table change information, mathematical formulas; National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) wiring configurations; a conduit bending guide with videos, ampacity and conduit fill information, transformer and control circuit wiring diagrams, and conversion tables. The 2026 Edition: * Reflects changes to the 2026 NEC * Features expanded coverage of the following topics: * Full-load currents for 3-phase transformers  * Maximum number of conductors in electrical metallic tubing for trade sizes 5 and 6  * Equipment grounding conductors  * General lighting loads for non-dwelling occupancies  * Overview of important NEC code changes from 2020, 2023 and 2026  Electricians and electrical professionals have used ‘Ugly’s Electrical References’ book as their on-the-job reference for over 35 years. This app will serve you even better in the field today.  FEATURING Calculators and Interactive Features • Ohm’s Law Calculator • Voltage Drop Calculator • Ampacity Calculator • To Find: Amps, Watts, Horsepower, KVA • To Find: Inductance, Impedance, Reactance • Three-phase AC Motor Data: Starter, Breaker, Heater, Wire, and Conduit Size • Power Factor Correction • Full Load Current for Motors and Transformers • Locked-Rotor Current Calculator • Offset Bending Calculator • Conduit Fill Calculator • Conversions for Area, Length, Temperature, Time, Volume, and Weight • NEMA Wiring Configurations *Pinch & Zoom for improved readability *Conduit Bending Video Tutorials *Search function helps you quickly find what you need to know *NEC Updater outlines and explains changes to the National Electrical Code© *Electrical Safety including definitions, boundaries, procedures, PPE guidance, and life-saving *First aid procedures *Blueprint symbol identifier *Bookmark your commonly used screens *High-definition images and interactive tables that can be zoomed in for detail *Works offline *Great for electricians, students, engineers, contractors, maintenance workers, and military Interested in a buying more than one copy of the Ugly’s Electrical Reference app for your commercially owned devices? Please email info[at]uglys[dot]net for details on volume purchases. Privacy Policy - http://www.jblearning.com/privacy/ Terms of Service - http://www.jblearning.com/use/ Support – http://www.uglys.net/appsupport The Ugly’s Electrical Reference app is part of the popular Ugly’s Professional Reference® series, which is an imprint of Jones & Bartlett Learning. National Electrical Code and NFPA 70 are registered trademarks of the National Fire Protection Agency and are not associated with Ugly’s Electrical References in any way.

Screenshots

Circuit Colors4 screens
Ugly's Electrical References4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Circuit Colors at $1.99 against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. Circuit Colors also leads on review sentiment (58% vs 47%). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.7) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 25). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and chart position 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Circuit Colors costs $1.99 and Ugly's Electrical References $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Ugly's Electrical References holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 25, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 58% of Circuit Colors's written reviews are positive against 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Circuit Colors ships an update every 9 months, Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 29, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Circuit Colors versus Ugly's Electrical References: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCircuit ColorsUgly's Electrical References
Price$1.99 — better$12.99
Rating3.7 (25 ratings)4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews58.3% of reviews — better47.1% of reviews
Number of ratings251.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 9 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#23#10 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB63 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperFrancisco AlcalaInformed Publishing

Customer experience

Circuit Colors

All ratings24 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral4.2%
Negative29.2%
Written reviews24 reviews
Positive58.3%
Neutral12.5%
Negative29.2%

Ugly's Electrical References

All ratings1,495 ratings
Positive84.9%
Neutral5.7%
Negative9.4%
Written reviews172 reviews
Positive47.1%
Neutral16.9%
Negative36.0%

Bugs and requests

Circuit Colors

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

Ugly's Electrical References

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Videos not playing
  • Bookmarks not working correctly
  • Navigation issues causing app crashes
  • Incorrect calculation results

Requested features

5 requests
  • Zoom functionality
  • Better search capabilities
  • Spanish language support
  • Offline access to full content
  • Improved bookmarking system

In-app purchases

None

Circuit Colors

No in-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Circuit Colors free?
Circuit Colors costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ugly's Electrical References free?
Ugly's Electrical References costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Circuit Colors or Ugly's Electrical References?
Ugly's Electrical References is rated higher. Circuit Colors averages 3.7 out of 5 from 25 ratings, while Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Circuit Colors or Ugly's Electrical References have ads?
Neither Circuit Colors nor Ugly's Electrical References shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Circuit Colors or Ugly's Electrical References?
Circuit Colors ships an update every 9 months, and Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Most recently, Circuit Colors was updated on October 29, 2026 and Ugly's Electrical References on October 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, Circuit Colors or Ugly's Electrical References?
Circuit Colors currently peaks at #23 in the App Store charts, and Ugly's Electrical References at #10. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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