Comparison

PrintAssist LITE vs Virtual Thermal Printer

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

Head to head
About

PrintAssist LITE

Print directly from FileMaker Go to a wide range of printers, including non-AirPrint models. Easily print custom sizes, images, PDFs, QR codes, and barcodes without needing to develop a separate app.

Highlights
  • Print to AirPrint and non-AirPrint printers
  • Print any paper size without layout issues
  • Transfer images, PDFs, and signatures
  • Print QR codes and barcodes
  • Specify number of copies
  • No SDK development required
Features
Read full description

No need to use an SDK to develop an app! Just tap and print from FileMaker Go. The only way to enable printing in an unusual size from FileMaker Go was to use an SDK to develop an app, which is provided by printer manufacturers. Now, you can just launch “PrintAssist” on the script instead of developing a native application! It's possible to print with AirPrint supported printers but also non-AirPrint printers! Particular printers, such as POS printers or Tepra printers, are also compatible. * PrintAssist Features ・Print with AirPrint printers and non-AirPrint printers! ・Print on any paper size without ruining the layout! ・Objects (images, PDFs, or handwritten signatures) can be transferred! ・Print QR codes or bar codes! ・One tap and print! ・No need to use an SDK to develop an app, which is provided by printer manufacturers! ・Specify the number of copies! * Print Various Contents You can transfer data in FileMaker Go, such as photos, PDFs, and handwritten signatures to PrintAssist and print them directly. FileMaker Go generates QR codes or bar codes and prints them directly. Otherwise, you can transfer the data to PrintAssist, and it generates the codes to print. When you frequently print certain image data such as logos, you can store them on PrintAssist. Depending on the system contents, the app offers you flexible use. * Notes 1. PrintAssist is required to write a script on an app such as FileMaker Go. You can download the specifications and sample from the following link. http://iwares.co.jp/printassist/ PrintAssist Lite contains all the features of the full version of PrintAssist, but printouts are watermarked. * Please note that M1 equipped Mac does not support Bluetooth printing.

About

Virtual Thermal Printer

This utility app simulates a thermal receipt printer for POS systems. It supports various ESC/POS commands to print text, barcodes, and QR codes, and offers multiple code-page options for international character sets.

Highlights
  • Simulates POS thermal printer
  • Supports ESC/POS commands
  • Prints text, barcodes, and QR codes
  • Configurable IP address and port
  • Multiple code-page support
  • Raster image printing
Features
Read full description

Print receipts from POS applications that support ESC/POS printing over IP. Just power on the printer and configure the IP-address and port displayed in your POS application. List of supported commands: - ESC @: Initialize printer - LF: Print and line feed - GS !: Double-width and double-height - ESC E: Turn emphasized mode on/off - ESC -: Turn underline mode on/off - ESC a: Align text (left, right and center) - ESC i and ESC m: Partial cut - GS B: Turn white/black reverse print mode on/off - GS V: Cut paper ( - GS k: Print barcode (EAN8, EAN13, Code39) - GS ( k: Print QR Code. Functions 169 & 180 - DLE EOT: Printer status (1..4) - GS v 0: Print raster bit image For more details on ESC/POS commands see https://reference.epson-biz.com/modules/ref_escpos/index.php?content_id=2 The following code-pages are supported: - CP437: US ASCII - CP850: Latin I - CP852: Latin II - CP858: Latin I + Euro - CP860: Portugese - CP863: Canadian-French - CP865: Nordic - CP866: Russian Note: The content printed in the above screenshots is for illustrative purposes only. Depending on the POS system used, the output may vary. Please make sure your POS application supports ESC/POS commands before installing this application.

Screenshots

PrintAssist LITE4 screens
Virtual Thermal Printer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PrintAssist LITE at Free against Virtual Thermal Printer's $1.99. PrintAssist LITE also leads on iOS requirement (9.0 vs 13.0). Virtual Thermal Printer's advantage is rating (3.3 vs 2.3) and review sentiment (50% vs 33%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

PrintAssist LITE is free to download; Virtual Thermal Printer costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Virtual Thermal Printer holds the better App Store score, 3.3 against 2.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of PrintAssist LITE's written reviews are positive against 50% of Virtual Thermal Printer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
PrintAssist LITE versus Virtual Thermal Printer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPrintAssist LITEVirtual Thermal Printer
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating2.3 (3 ratings)3.3 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews50.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings34 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better13.0
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperiWare Inc.Pascal Kimmel

Customer experience

PrintAssist LITE

All ratings3 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%

Virtual Thermal Printer

All ratings4 ratings
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%
Written reviews6 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative50.0%

In-app purchases

None

PrintAssist LITE

No in-app purchases

None

Virtual Thermal Printer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PrintAssist LITE free?
PrintAssist LITE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Virtual Thermal Printer free?
Virtual Thermal Printer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PrintAssist LITE or Virtual Thermal Printer?
Virtual Thermal Printer is rated higher. PrintAssist LITE averages 2.3 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Virtual Thermal Printer averages 3.3 from 4 ratings.
Do PrintAssist LITE or Virtual Thermal Printer have ads?
Neither PrintAssist LITE nor Virtual Thermal Printer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PrintAssist LITE or Virtual Thermal Printer?
PrintAssist LITE ships an update every 5 weeks, and Virtual Thermal Printer every 5 weeks. Most recently, PrintAssist LITE was updated on October 24, 2026 and Virtual Thermal Printer on October 22, 2026.

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