Comparison

AX vs CPU Runner

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

Head to head
About

AX

Discover detailed CPU information for your device, including its name, model, manufacturer, and other technical specifications. This utility app provides a straightforward way to access your system's processor details.

Highlights
  • CPU name identification
  • CPU model details
  • CPU manufacturer information
  • Technical specifications display
  • Device processor profiling
Features
Read full description

With AX-CPU you can easily find the CPU name, model, manufacturer and other technical details of your device.

About

CPU Runner

This app provides comprehensive system monitoring for your device. It offers detailed hardware data, CPU and GPU information, memory usage, network traffic, disk space, battery status, and even a decibel meter. A Today Widget allows for real-time monitoring of key metrics.

Highlights
  • Detailed hardware data
  • In-depth CPU and GPU information
  • Memory and network traffic monitoring
  • Disk space analysis
  • Battery health and status
  • Real-time decibel meter
  • Today Widget for quick monitoring
Features
Read full description

CPU Runner is a real-time diagnostics tool for iPhone and iPad. Built for developers debugging app performance, IT support diagnosing devices, and curious users who want to know what's actually happening on their hardware. No tracking. No fake numbers. Only public iOS APIs. FIVE LIVE MODULES CPU - Per-core load via host_processor_info - Overall load with thermal-state badge (Nominal / Fair / Serious / Critical) - Single-core and multi-core benchmarks with progress tracking - 24-hour history Device - Chip identifier, iOS version, kernel build - Memory breakdown: active / inactive / free / wired / compressed - Memory pressure indicator - Storage, resolution, ProMotion refresh rate, color gamut, boot time - Shareable summary card GPU - Metal device family and capabilities - Raytracing, function pointers, dynamic libraries support - Argument buffer tier, R/W texture tier, max threadgroup memory - FMA throughput benchmark in GFLOPS Network - Live download and upload throughput (app-attributed, honestly labeled) - Cellular radio: 5G, LTE - NWPath flags: expensive, constrained, IPv4/IPv6 - Local IPv4 address - Latency to a configurable host - 24-hour history with CSV export Battery - Charge level, state, Low Power Mode - 24-hour battery curve - Deep link to Settings for battery health 11 HARDWARE TESTS For technicians and curious users: - Display: solid colors, gradients, grids, SMPTE color bars - Multi-Touch: up to 11 simultaneous touches with force readout - Touch Coverage: paint the screen to find dead zones - Haptics: all 8 feedback types - Speaker Tone: sine waves with L/R channel routing - Microphone: live input meter - Motion Sensors: accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, attitude - Barometer: altitude and atmospheric pressure - Proximity Sensor - Camera: front/back preview with torch - GPS / Compass: coordinates, altitude, heading, accuracy HOME SCREEN WIDGETS - CPU Load (small and medium) with per-core bars - Memory Pressure with category breakdown - Device Info: chip, RAM, free storage, uptime HONEST DESIGN CPU Runner does NOT: - Pretend to "clean RAM" or "boost CPU" - iOS does not expose those APIs, and apps that claim to are misleading users - Read battery health or cycle count - these are gated behind private APIs - Measure system-wide network throughput - only app-attributed traffic is available - Track you. Nothing leaves your device. All measurements come from documented public Mach, Metal, Network, and UIKit APIs. OPTIMIZED FOR IPAD Multi-column NavigationSplitView, sidebar navigation, gorgeous in landscape. REQUIREMENTS iOS 17 or later. Some metrics (per-core CPU, hardware sensors) require a real device - simulators return synthetic values.

Screenshots

AX1 screens
CPU Runner4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CPU Runner at 4.5 against AX's 3.2. CPU Runner also leads on ads (none vs shown) and review sentiment (88% vs 55%). On price, 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

Both are free to download. AX sells 3 one-off in-app purchases and CPU Runner sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CPU Runner holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 3.2. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 17 and 83 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 55% of AX's written reviews are positive against 88% of CPU Runner's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AX ships an update every 7 months, CPU Runner every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on August 25, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
AX versus CPU Runner: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAXCPU Runner
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.2 (17 ratings)4.5 (83 ratings) — better
Positive reviews55.4% of reviews88.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1783 — better
Update frequencyEvery 7 monthsEvery 2 months — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB3 MB
Age rating+44+
DeveloperArmchair Engineering传胜 贾

Customer experience

AX

All ratings17 ratings
Positive52.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative47.1%
Written reviews56 reviews
Positive55.4%
Neutral7.1%
Negative37.5%

CPU Runner

All ratings83 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.8%
Negative7.2%
Written reviews50 reviews
Positive88.0%
Neutral4.0%
Negative8.0%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

AX

One-time3
  • Defender$0.99
  • Guardian$1.99
  • Hero$3.99
1 purchases

CPU Runner

One-time1
  • Remove Ads.$0.99

Questions

Is AX free?
AX is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CPU Runner free?
CPU Runner is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AX or CPU Runner?
CPU Runner is rated higher. AX averages 3.2 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while CPU Runner averages 4.5 from 83 ratings.
Do AX or CPU Runner have ads?
AX shows ads; CPU Runner does not.
Which is updated more often, AX or CPU Runner?
AX ships an update every 7 months, and CPU Runner every 2 months. Most recently, AX was updated on August 25, 2026 and CPU Runner on September 28, 2026.

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