Comparison

Phased 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

Phased

This app helps electricians quickly identify the correct wire colors for various electrical phasing jobs. It offers selections for three-phase and single-phase systems, with adjustable color settings that are remembered for future use.

Highlights
  • Three-phase 120/208V wire colors
  • Three-phase 277/480V wire colors
  • Single-phase wire colors
  • Adjustable color settings
  • Color settings remembered
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Phased: Circuit Colors is a simple to use electrical wire phasing reference app. That will help you quickly determine the color wire to pull on the job. Having three selections to choose from. • Three Phase 120/208V (black, red, blue) • Three Phase 277/480V (brown, orange, yellow) • Single Phase (black, red). Colors are adjustable and will be remembered for the next time you use the app. This app is great for wire pulls.

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
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

Phased4 screens
Ugly's Electrical References4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Phased at $0.99 against Ugly's Electrical References's $12.99. Phased also leads on review sentiment (67% vs 47%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17). Ugly's Electrical References's advantage is rating (4.4 vs 3.9) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 13). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

Phased costs $0.99 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 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Ugly's Electrical References has 1.5K ratings behind it against 13, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 67% of Phased's written reviews are positive against 47% of Ugly's Electrical References's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Phased ships an update every 6 months, Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Both last shipped on November 6, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Phased versus Ugly's Electrical References: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPhasedUgly's Electrical References
Price$0.99 — better$12.99
Rating3.9 (13 ratings)4.4 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews — better47.1% of reviews
Number of ratings131.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 3 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#40#9 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS11.0 — better17
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB63 MB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperBret HardmanInformed Publishing

Customer experience

Phased

All ratings13 ratings
Positive69.2%
Neutral7.7%
Negative23.1%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

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

Phased

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

Phased

No in-app purchases

None

Ugly's Electrical References

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Phased free?
Phased costs $0.99, 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, Phased or Ugly's Electrical References?
Ugly's Electrical References is rated higher. Phased averages 3.9 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while Ugly's Electrical References averages 4.4 from 1.5K ratings.
Do Phased or Ugly's Electrical References have ads?
Neither Phased nor Ugly's Electrical References shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Phased or Ugly's Electrical References?
Phased ships an update every 6 months, and Ugly's Electrical References every 3 months. Most recently, Phased was updated on November 6, 2026 and Ugly's Electrical References on November 6, 2026.
Which is more popular, Phased or Ugly's Electrical References?
Phased currently peaks at #40 in the App Store charts, and Ugly's Electrical References at #9. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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