BenchKit vs PLC Ninja
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BenchKit
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BenchKit puts four everyday electronics calculations in one focused, offline iPhone app. RESISTOR CODES Decode 3, 4, 5, and 6-band axial resistors by tapping the bands on a drawn resistor, or SMD codes (3-digit, 4-digit, EIA-96, R notation). See the tolerance range, IEC marking code, and standard E-series match, with a warning when a reading is probably reversed. PCB TRACE WIDTH Estimate minimum internal or external copper trace width from current, copper weight, and allowed temperature rise, in millimeters and mils, or the current a given width can carry. Results outside the IPC-2221 chart range are flagged as extrapolations. VOLTAGE DROP Voltage drop, voltage at the load, power lost in the wiring, and the share of supply that reaches the load. Enter the round-trip resistance, or wire gauge (AWG or mm²), length, and conductor temperature. VOLTAGE DIVIDER Ideal unloaded output voltage, divider current, per-resistor dissipation, output resistance, and what an optional load does to the output. Or enter a target voltage and get the closest E24/E96 resistor pairs with their worst-case output. Type values the way engineers write them: 4k7, 2R2, 100m, 3V3; the keyboard has keys for the letters. No account. No ads. No analytics. No network connection. English, Simplified Chinese, and Japanese. BenchKit is a quick estimation tool. Always verify production designs against component datasheets, applicable standards, simulation, and physical validation.
PLC Ninja
Access live PLC data directly from your mobile device. Connect via Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or serial adapter to monitor inputs, outputs, timers, counters, and analog values in real-time while in the field.
- Real-time PLC data monitoring
- Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and serial connection support
- View inputs and outputs
- Monitor timers and counters
- Access analog values
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PLC Ninja puts live PLC data on your phone. Connect over Ethernet, Wi-Fi, or a serial adapter, and see every input, output, timer, counter and analog value updating in real time — standing at the panel, not walking back to the office. PLC Ninja is an independent product and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Rockwell Automation, Siemens AG, AutomationDirect, or Mitsubishi Electric. Allen-Bradley, ControlLogix, CompactLogix, GuardLogix, MicroLogix, SLC 500, RSLogix and Studio 5000 are trademarks of Rockwell Automation. SIMATIC, S7 and LOGO! are trademarks of Siemens AG. DirectLOGIC is a trademark of AutomationDirect. MELSEC and FX are trademarks of Mitsubishi Electric. All product names are used only to identify the equipment this app can connect to. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://plcninja-support.github.io/support/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BenchKit at none against PLC Ninja's 6. PLC Ninja's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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
Both are free to download. PLC Ninja sells 6 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. BenchKit asks for nothing beyond the download.
BenchKit ships an update every 2 months, PLC Ninja every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BenchKit | PLC Ninja |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 3 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 17.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 明 齐 | SHAOHUA YI |
In-app purchases
BenchKit
No in-app purchases
PLC Ninja
- Standard$3.991 Month
- Professional$8.991 Month
- Ultimate$14.991 Month
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- Standard$39.991 Year
- Professional$89.991 Year
- Ultimate$149.991 Year









