Comparison

Pipe N Wire 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

Pipe N Wire

This tool helps electricians quickly calculate the correct conduit size based on wire types, gauges, and desired fill percentages, adhering to NEC standards. It offers a streamlined interface for field use and planning, with options to save calculations and override recommendations.

Highlights
  • Conduit fill calculations
  • Supports all standard wire types
  • Smart conduit selector
  • Save and load calculations
  • Override recommendations
  • Remembers last setup
Features
Read full description

From the creator of iBend Pipe — trusted by pros for over a decade. PipeNWire is your fast, reliable, and NEC-compliant conduit fill calculator, rebuilt from the ground up for today’s electricians. Whether you’re in the field or planning ahead, PipeNWire makes it easy to determine the right conduit size based on your selected wires, pipe material, and desired fill percentage. Accurate. Intuitive. Built for the trade. FEATURES: • Conduit Fill Calculations Made Easy Choose your conduit material (EMT, IMC, etc.), select wire types and gauges, and pick your target fill percentage (e.g., 40%, 53%). PipeNWire instantly shows the smallest compliant conduit size based on NEC tables. • Supports All Standard Wire Types THHN, XHHW, RHH, and more—each with available gauges and accurate area values. We’ve preloaded everything you need. • Smart Conduit Selector Quickly scroll through available conduit sizes. PipeNWire centers on the first size that meets your fill criteria and lets you explore other options easily. • Save & Load Calculations Save your work with a custom name and reopen calculations later. • Override the Recommendation Need to upsize for future pull capacity or job specs? You’re in control—select any size and still see detailed fill data. • Remembers Your Last Setup PipeNWire remembers your most recent selections so you can pick up right where you left off. Why PipeNWire? • Built specifically for electricians by the developer of the widely-used iBend Pipe app • Lightning-fast interface with no fluff—just what you need • Code-aware logic based on National Electrical Code tables • Made for real-world use: at the job site, in the truck, or during planning Whether you’re sizing EMT for a quick pull or planning a complex wire run, PipeNWire takes the guesswork out of conduit sizing and helps you work with confidence. Download PipeNWire today and streamline your workflow with the conduit fill calculator made for pros.

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
Currently charting
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

Pipe N Wire4 screens
Ugly's Electrical References4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Pipe N Wire at $1.99 against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.3) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 15 months). On review sentiment, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

Pipe N Wire 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 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 45% of Pipe N Wire's written reviews are positive against 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pipe N Wire ships an update every 15 months, Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Pipe N Wire versus Ugly's Electrical References: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPipe N WireUgly's Electrical References
Price$1.99 — better$12.99
Rating3.3 (10 ratings)4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews45.5% of reviews47.1% of reviews — better
Number of ratings101.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 15 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#165#8 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617 — better
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB63 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperFrancisco AlcalaInformed Publishing

Customer experience

Pipe N Wire

All ratings10 ratings
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive45.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative45.5%

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

Pipe N Wire

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

Pipe N Wire

No in-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Pipe N Wire free?
Pipe N Wire 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, Pipe N Wire or Ugly's Electrical References?
Ugly's Electrical References is rated higher. Pipe N Wire averages 3.3 out of 5 from 10 ratings, while Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Pipe N Wire or Ugly's Electrical References have ads?
Neither Pipe N Wire nor Ugly's Electrical References shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pipe N Wire or Ugly's Electrical References?
Pipe N Wire ships an update every 15 months, and Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Most recently, Pipe N Wire was updated on September 21, 2026 and Ugly's Electrical References on September 27, 2026.
Which is more popular, Pipe N Wire or Ugly's Electrical References?
Pipe N Wire currently peaks at #165 in the App Store charts, and Ugly's Electrical References at #8. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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