Comparison

PLC staircase vs E

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

Head to head
About

PLC staircase

Read full description

A staircase light controller that only requires two wires throughout the entire process, with multiple adjustable modes, adjustable brightness and color temperature.

About

E

Learn electrical engineering by building and simulating circuits. This app offers a realistic physics engine, a vast library of industrial components, and professional-grade calculators for hands-on learning and analysis.

Highlights
  • Interactive circuit simulator with MNA physics engine
  • 125+ industrial electrical components
  • Real-time voltage, current, and power calculations
  • 20 professional engineer-grade calculators
  • Safe simulation of component failures
  • Cross-device project syncing
Read full description

E-Light looks simple. It solves like an engineer. Learn electrical engineering by building real circuits. E-Light combines an interactive circuit simulator with professional electrical calculators into a single modern learning platform. At the heart of E-Light is a circuit simulator powered by a real Modified Nodal Analysis (MNA) physics engine. Place industrial electrical components onto the canvas, connect them terminal-to-terminal, press Run, and watch your circuit come alive with live voltage, current, and power calculations. ◆ THE SIMULATOR ◆ The heart of E-Light ▸ A real MNA physics engine solves the entire circuit on every change — series, parallel, and three-phase. ▸ 125+ real industrial components: contactors, MCBs, RCDs, overload relays, VFDs, timers, 3-phase motors, sensors, CTs, energy meters, and more. ▸ Make it fail safely: overload a breaker, and it trips; drop a phase, and the relay reacts — zero risk, zero smoke. ▸ Live readouts for voltage, current, power, and energy, like a real test bench. ▸ Practice motor-control wiring: start/stop, delay timers, and seal-in circuits. ▸ Two wiring styles: clean 90° straight runs or classic curved wires — switch anytime, your circuits keep both. ◆ PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER-GRADE CALCULATORS ◆ When you need a fast, defensible answer, 20 are built in: • Ohm's Law • Power (1Φ / 3Φ) • Voltage Drop • Wire Size • Motor FLC • Breaker Sizing • Short Circuit • Ground Fault Loop • Relay IDMT • Power Factor Correction • VFD Speed • Earthing Conductor • Busbar Sizing • UPS Sizing • Battery Backup • Generator Sizing • Generator Fuel • Residential Load • Lighting Design • Resistor Colour Code Built to recognized standards. With Pro, each calculator also reveals the equation behind the result, so you can check the formula, not just the number. ◆ IN YOUR LANGUAGE ◆ E-Light speaks 10 languages: English, العربية, Español, Français, Português, 简体中文, हिन्दी, Bahasa Indonesia, Deutsch, and Русский. Component names, calculator labels, and simulation messages are all translated, with technical terminology chosen to match how electricians and engineers actually speak in each language. Switch anytime from the globe on the home screen or in Settings. ◆ BUILT FOR LEARNING ◆ Designed for engineers, technicians, educators, and students who want to learn, and instructors who want a safe, zero-equipment lab in the classroom. Practice and better understand electrical systems in a safe digital environment. ◆ FREE & PRO ◆ The simulator and all 20 calculators are free to use, with 10 components to try the canvas, local project saves, and occasional ads. E-Light Pro removes ads, reveals the formula behind every calculator, and unlocks the full 125+ component library plus cloud sync — start a circuit on one device and continue on another. ◆ GROWING WITH EVERY UPDATE ◆ New simulator components, calculators, languages, and features continue to be added. ◆ WORKS ACROSS YOUR DEVICES ◆ Sign in once, and your projects sync across Mobile > Desktop > Tablet. Start a circuit on one device and continue on another. ◆ E-LIGHT PRO ◆ (auto-renewing subscription) Unlock the complete simulator component library, cloud sync, an ad-free experience, and calculator formulas. • Available as Monthly, Quarterly, or Annual plans • Prices are shown in the app and may vary by region • Payment is charged to your Apple ID upon confirmation of purchase • Renews automatically unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store account settings Terms of Use (EULA): https://elight.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://elight.app/privacy

Screenshots

PLC staircase2 screens
E4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PLC staircase at none against E's 3. PLC staircase also leads on ads (none vs shown) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). E's advantage is device support (4 vs 2). On price 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

Both are free to download. E sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. PLC staircase asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 5 level
PLC staircase versus E: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPLC staircaseE
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequency—Every 6 weeks
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS12.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size29 MB40 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer菊安 李Mohamed Mubarak

In-app purchases

None

PLC staircase

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

E

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Pro Quarterly3 Days trial$7.993 Months
  • Pro Yearly3 Days trial$24.991 Year

Questions

Is PLC staircase free?
PLC staircase is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is E free?
E is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PLC staircase or E have ads?
E shows ads; PLC staircase does not.

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