Comparison

NEMA Guide vs SpecPad

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

Head to head
About

NEMA Guide

Features
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Use the NEMA Guide app to quickly identify and cross-reference NEMA plug and receptacle configurationsβ€”a must-have tool for electricians and electrical professionals on the job. Whether you're trying to identify an unknown plug or need to confirm the right receptacle for a specific application, this app streamlines the process. Simply search by NEMA number or filter by voltage, amperage, phase, poles, wires, and grounding type to view all matching results. With illustrations and detailed specs for each configuration, to save you time and avoid guesswork on-site. Features: - Search by NEMA configuration number. - Filter by voltage, amperage, phase, poles, wires, and grounding. - Instantly view matching plug and receptacle configurations. - Over 170 high-quality configuration illustrations. - Tap to view detailed specs for each configuration. - Cross-reference plugs and receptacles with ease. - Data is stored locally for quick use in the field or on the job-site.

About

SpecPad

Features
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SpecPad is a work notebook for people who deal in drawings: plans, schematics, boards, site photos. Mark them up, measure them, keep everything organized in notebooks, and export clean PDFs when it's time to send. It started with one problem: photographing a circuit board and needing labels that point at the exact pins. So callouts in SpecPad anchor to the photo itself. Zoom way in, drag the image around, the pin stays on the pad. That same stubbornness runs through the rest of the app: revision clouds you draw by hand and type inside, drawings you calibrate once and then measure in real units, redaction bars that actually remove what's under them on export. PAGES β€’ Canvas pages have no edges. They grow as you draw β€’ Notepad pages are real paper sizes (Letter, A4, Tabloid β€” blank, grid, or lined) and print true to size β€’ Text Documents for the days you just need to type: headings, lists, dividers β€’ PDFs import as true vector pages. Mark them up and export with the markup embedded, while the original text stays searchable β€’ Scan paper with the camera, or start from a photo MARKUP β€’ Leader-line callouts anchored to the pixels of a photo β€’ Draw a rough circle around anything and it becomes a proper scalloped revision cloud with a text box inside β€’ Calibrate a drawing against one known length, then dimension anything on it in feet-inches or metric β€’ Numbered pins, a count tool with running totals, Bates-style numbering β€’ Punch lists: any markup can be Open or Resolved, and resolved items fade in reports STENCILS & STAMPS β€’ 180 stencils across electronics, schematics, network & IT, construction, life safety, hatches, medical, education, proofreading, office, and design β€’ Pick your workflow and the toolbar tailors itself to your trade β€’ Star the tools you use daily to pin them to the bar β€’ Lasso anything you've drawn and save it as a reusable stamp, or import your own stencils INK & SHAPES β€’ Apple Pencil ink and highlighter, with shape snapping for when a rough box should become a clean one β€’ Cables that route around parts with the label riding the wire, and named nets that light up together β€’ Arrows, dimension lines, speech bubbles, hatches SHARING & SYNC β€’ Export PDF, PNG, branded markup reports, and annotation schedules β€’ Search everything, typed or handwritten β€’ Notebooks sync with iCloud. Share one to work together β€’ Focus mode, presentation mode, and audio recording on a page for walkthroughs SPECPAD PRO The free app is useful every single day, no paywall in your face. Pro adds unlimited pages, spreadsheet exports, path and area measurement, revision compare, and the project index. Subscribe, or buy lifetime once and be done. Made for iPad. Works on iPhone too. SpecPad comes from a small shop, not a big one. If your trade is missing a stencil or a tool, write in β€” I read everything. Privacy Policy: https://steinmetzlabs.com/apps/specpad/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://steinmetzlabs.com/apps/specpad/terms.html Support: https://steinmetzlabs.com/apps/specpad/support.html

Screenshots

NEMA Guide4 screens
SpecPad3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NEMA Guide at none against SpecPad's 3. NEMA Guide also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 10 days). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NEMA Guide ships an update every 2 days, SpecPad every 10 days. Both last shipped on October 1, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
NEMA Guide versus SpecPad: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNEMA GuideSpecPad
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 days β€” betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.6 β€” better18.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size23 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRed Zepp LLCJohn Steinmetz

In-app purchases

None

NEMA Guide

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SpecPad

Subscriptions2
  • SpecPad Pro - Monthly$2.991 Month
  • SpecPad Pro - Yearly$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • SpecPad Pro - Lifetime$29.99

Questions

Is NEMA Guide free?
NEMA Guide is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SpecPad free?
SpecPad is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NEMA Guide or SpecPad have ads?
Neither NEMA Guide nor SpecPad shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NEMA Guide or SpecPad?
NEMA Guide ships an update every 2 days, and SpecPad every 10 days. Most recently, NEMA Guide was updated on October 1, 2026 and SpecPad on October 1, 2026.

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