Comparison

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE vs Lua IDE

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

Head to head
About

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE

Develop .NET C# and F# applications and games directly on your iPad or iPhone. This powerful IDE offers automatic compiling and running, allowing you to see code changes instantly. It supports the latest language features and includes tools for inspecting live objects and UI elements.

Highlights
  • Full C# 8 and F# 4.7 compilers
  • Live XAML editing
  • Automatic compiling and running
  • Fancy text editor with inline errors
  • Watch window for object inspection
  • Code completion with inline type info
  • Supports standard .NET file formats
Features
Read full description

Continuous is a fast and powerful .NET C# and F# IDE that runs directly on the iPad and iPhone (no network needed!). With it, you can write apps and games using your favorite languages on your favorite devices. Continuous is always building and running your code so you can see changes as you type. Writing interactive apps in Continuous is a pleasure compared to the traditional code-build-run cycle. It frees you to make lots of small changes and see their effects immediately - no more waiting for builds or deployments and no more clicking around trying to get to the screen you're trying to code. Continuous looks and works in many of the same ways as traditional .NET IDEs so you'll feel right at home, but it also strives to advance the state of the art in IDEs with these features: >>> Full C# 8 and F# 4.7 compilers so you can use the latest tech >>> Xamarin.Forms Live XAML Editing >>> Automatic compiling and running so you can focus on the code and the results >>> Fancy text editor with tabs, semantic highlighting, inline error bubbles, and inline values that are updated as you type >>> Watch window enables you to view graphical objects in your app (UI and images), inspect live objects as your app runs, create instances of new objects, and call methods >>> Code completion with inline type info and documentation makes learning new APIs fun >>> Uses standard .NET file and project formats so you can share code with other IDEs >>> Includes Xamarin.Forms and UIKit to build apps and SpriteKit and SceneKit to build games. You can access many iOS APIs including CoreMotion, the Social framework, and HealthKit to read data. >>> Split screen support so you can keep documentation by your side >>> Execution powered by a new IL interpreter If you're new to .NET or iOS coding, you will love the code completion with integrated documentation and the fun examples that come with the app. If you're a .NET pro, then you will love the support for projects and the ability to inspect objects as you code them - whether they're in a script or just a normal project file. If you're new to programming, C# is an great language to learn: it's powerful yet friendly language, example code is all over the internet, and there are plenty of jobs out there waiting for you. If you enjoy thinking a little differently, then you will love that F# is included and fully supported. This amazing programming language will teach you to write better code and will arm you to solve problems that you thought were too big or hard to solve - like writing an IDE.

About

Lua IDE

A mobile integrated development environment for writing and running Lua code. It offers syntax highlighting, module support, and an offline reference manual. Cloud storage integration is also available.

Highlights
  • Syntax highlighting
  • Module support
  • Offline reference manual
  • Works offline
  • Cloud storage support
Features
Read full description

• Lua IDE with syntax highlighting • Support requiring modules • Reference manual • Works completely offline • Cloud storage support, including iCloud

Screenshots

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE4 screens
Lua IDE3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Lua IDE at Free against Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE's $12.99. Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE's advantage is rating (4.2 vs 3.4) and ratings volume (91 vs 22). On review sentiment, 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

Lua IDE is free to download; Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE costs $12.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE holds the better App Store score, 4.2 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 91 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 60% of Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE's written reviews are positive against 59% of Lua IDE's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE ships an update every 12 months, Lua IDE every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE versus Lua IDE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterContinuous .NET C# and F# IDELua IDE
Price$12.99Free — better
Rating4.2 (91 ratings) — better3.4 (22 ratings)
Positive reviews60.4% of reviews — better59.3% of reviews
Number of ratings91 — better22
Update frequencyEvery 12 monthsEvery 7 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank#60 — better#210
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size391 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKrueger Systems, Inc.Wenhuan Li

Customer experience

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE

All ratings91 ratings
Positive78.0%
Neutral8.8%
Negative13.2%
Written reviews111 reviews
Positive60.4%
Neutral17.1%
Negative22.5%

Lua IDE

All ratings22 ratings
Positive59.1%
Neutral9.1%
Negative31.8%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive59.3%
Neutral14.8%
Negative25.9%

In-app purchases

None

Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE

No in-app purchases

None

Lua IDE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE free?
Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE costs $12.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lua IDE free?
Lua IDE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE or Lua IDE?
Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE is rated higher. Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE averages 4.2 out of 5 from 91 ratings, while Lua IDE averages 3.4 from 22 ratings.
Do Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE or Lua IDE have ads?
Neither Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE nor Lua IDE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE or Lua IDE?
Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE ships an update every 12 months, and Lua IDE every 7 months. Most recently, Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE was updated on September 23, 2026 and Lua IDE on September 24, 2026.
Which is more popular, Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE or Lua IDE?
Continuous .NET C# and F# IDE currently peaks at #60 in the App Store charts, and Lua IDE at #210. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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