Comparison

Wire & Load vs Scan & NEC Code

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

Head to head
About

Wire & Load

Features
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Stop guessing the right wire size. Wire & Load is the no-internet-needed reference every electrician and maintenance tech wants in their pocket. GET AN INSTANT RECOMMENDATION for AWG / mm² wire size, voltage drop percentage, and the matching standard circuit breaker — driven by NEC 2023 / 75°C ampacity tables and the 240.6(A) breaker series. WHAT'S INSIDE • Voltage-drop calculator — single- and three-phase, copper or aluminum • Configurable voltage-drop limit (0.5% – 10%) • NEC 240.4(B) next-size-up breaker rule applied automatically • 60°C limits for 14/12/10 AWG copper and 12/10 AWG aluminum pre-applied per NEC 240.4(D) • Continuous-load (≥ 3 hr) 1.25× multiplier toggle • Power-mode input — enter watts and power factor, the app derives the working current OFFLINE REFERENCE TABLES • AWG ↔ mm² ↔ diameter (ASTM B258) • Copper and aluminum ampacity (NEC 310.16, 75°C) • Standard breaker sizes (NEC 240.6(A)) • Motor starting inrush multipliers — DOL, star-delta, soft starter, VFD (NEMA MG-1) DESIGNED FOR THE FIELD • Works on any job site, no signal needed • Search built into every reference table • Both AWG and mm² always shown on results • Switch between metric (mm² / m) and imperial (AWG / ft) • Localized in English, Spanish, Japanese, French, German, and Portuguese PRIVACY FIRST No accounts. No analytics. No ads. No tracking. Your inputs never leave your device. PRICING Try Wire & Load free for 7 days. After that, unlock lifetime access for a single $1.99 purchase — no subscription, no recurring charges, free updates. DISCLAIMER This app provides general reference information based on commonly-used electrical engineering tables and formulas. Results are estimates and do not constitute professional engineering advice. Always follow the electrical code applicable in your jurisdiction and consult a licensed electrician or engineer.

About

Scan & NEC Code

Features
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Scan the plate. Get the number. ElectricCalc turns your phone into a voltage drop and conductor sizing calculator that works at zero bars — built for the guy already holding a meter in the other hand. For apprentices, journeymen, masters, contractors, maintenance techs and estimators working in feet, AWG and kcmil. ----------------------- # VOLTAGE DROP Volts, amps, one-way distance, conductor size, copper or aluminum, single or three phase. You get the drop percentage in numbers big enough to read at arm's length, plus the volts lost and what's actually left at the load. Over 3% it turns orange. Over 5% it turns red. You know the run is a problem before you pull the wire. ----------------------- # AMPACITY, DERATED Start with the conductor and the termination rating — 60C, 75C or 90C. Correct for ambient temperature. Derate for the number of current-carrying conductors in the raceway. Base ampacity and adjusted ampacity sit side by side, so you can see what the derate cost you. ----------------------- # SCAN THE PLATE INSTEAD OF TYPING IT Point the camera at a nameplate or panel label and it pulls out volts, amps and conductor size into a text box you can edit before it touches the calculator. Straight talk: it does well on printed labels and clean plates. Stamped, sun-faded and greasy plates still need thumbs. Runs entirely on your phone, no signal needed. ----------------------- # IT TELLS YOU WHICH TABLE Every result cites the section behind it. Voltage drop points at 210.19(A) for branch circuits and 215.2(A)(1) for feeders — and it's honest those are Informational Notes, not hard limits. Ampacity points at the base ampacity table plus ambient correction and conductor adjustment tables. Set your code year in Settings — 2017, 2020, 2023 or 2026 — and citations match what your AHJ enforces. On 2017 it cites 310.15(B)(16), not 310.16. Find the right page in thirty seconds instead of thumbing through Article 310. Not a substitute for the book. ElectricCalc is an independent tool, not affiliated with, endorsed by or certified by the NFPA. ----------------------- # NO SIGNAL, NO PROBLEM Every calculation and scan runs on the device. No account. No sign-up. No cloud sync. Basements, mechanical rooms, vaults, elevator shafts, new construction with nothing but steel around you — same speed as anywhere else. Your calculations, scans and history never leave your phone. ----------------------- # HISTORY Every calc you save comes back with all its inputs. Tap it, change the run length, recalculate. It remembers which code year you used. Unlimited, stored locally. ----------------------- # BUILT FOR HANDS IN GLOVES Dark screen, high contrast, readable in a dark panel room and in direct sun. Big targets and standard-value dropdowns instead of tiny keyboards. Reset asks first, then goes back to sane defaults instead of blanking on you. No ads, anywhere, ever. iPhone. ----------------------- # HOW ACCESS WORKS — PLEASE READ ElectricCalc gives you full access to everything for 7 days after install. After 7 days it takes a one-time purchase to keep calculating. There is no permanently free tier. That purchase is exactly that: one time. No subscription, no auto-renewal, no monthly bill, no annual fee, no pro tier added later — and no way for it to stop working on you at a panel because a card expired in an office somewhere. Buy it once and it stays unlocked on every device signed in to your Apple Account. Already bought it? Restore Purchase is on the purchase screen. Price may be lower during a limited-time promo window tied to your trial; the exact price always shows before you buy. ----------------------- # BEFORE YOU PULL WIRE ElectricCalc is a field estimation tool. Check every result against the National Electrical Code and your approved drawings before anything gets installed. Built to speed up the math, not to replace the code book, your AHJ, or an engineer's stamp.

Screenshots

Wire & Load4 screens
Scan & NEC Code4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Scan & NEC Code at every 4 days against Wire & Load's every 2 months. Wire & Load's advantage is iOS requirement (16.6 vs 18.0). 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Wire & Load sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Scan & NEC Code sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Wire & Load ships an update every 2 months, Scan & NEC Code every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 4 level
Wire & Load versus Scan & NEC Code: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterWire & LoadScan & NEC Code
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS16.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB6 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperShenzhen Fu Kang Heng Development Co., Ltd.Kazuhiro Higuchi

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Wire & Load

One-time1
  • Lifetime Access$1.99
2 purchases

Scan & NEC Code

One-time2
  • Lifetime Access - Promo Price$9.99
  • Lifetime Access - Regular Price$19.99

Questions

Is Wire & Load free?
Wire & Load is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Scan & NEC Code free?
Scan & NEC Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Wire & Load or Scan & NEC Code have ads?
Neither Wire & Load nor Scan & NEC Code shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Wire & Load or Scan & NEC Code?
Wire & Load ships an update every 2 months, and Scan & NEC Code every 4 days. Most recently, Wire & Load was updated on October 17, 2026 and Scan & NEC Code on October 15, 2026.

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