Comparison

RETRO FORTH vs CodeMaster

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

Head to head
About

RETRO FORTH

A compact and adaptable concatenative programming language designed for ease of learning and customization. It features a code editor, interactive listener, and support for Gopher servers, allowing for flexible development.

Highlights
  • Concatenative programming language
  • Code editor with Markdown subset
  • Literate programming style
  • Interactive listener interface
  • Gopher server data fetching
  • File manager
  • Documentation browser
Features
Read full description

RETRO FORTH is a concatenative programming language with roots in Forth. Designed to be compact, learnable, and easy to adapt to specific needs, it has been developed and refined through continual use by a small community over more than a decade. Forth is a stack based programming language created in the late 1960's by Chuck Moore. Over the intervening decades it has evolved through use, with many dialects along the way. The Retro dialect was created in the late 1990's, and has been continually developed and supported for over 15 years. It is a structured, imperative stack-based language with modern facilities including quotations and reflection. It features: - latest version of the RETRO language - a code editor using Markdown subset - literate programming style - code is extracted from fenced blocks in Markdown source allowing easy mixing of code and commentary - allows use of unicode & emoji in source & commentary - interactive listener interface for quick interactions - simple console output and text input - editor provides quick access to numbers and symbols - support for fetching textual data from Gopher servers - file manager - documentation browser It also includes documentation and several optional examples.

About

CodeMaster

A professional mobile code editor and development tool for iOS. It offers comprehensive code browsing, editing, and management features, along with integrated tools for remote connections, database design, and GitHub integration.

Highlights
  • File management and browser
  • VS Code core Monaco editor
  • GitHub integration
  • Code snippet management
  • Database design tool
  • SSH client and SFTP
Features
Read full description

CodeMaster - Mobile Coding IDE CodeMaster is a professional code browsing and development tool for iOS platforms, specifically designed for developers. It integrates multiple practical tools, supports multiple programming languages, and provides complete mobile code browsing, editing, management, and auxiliary development capabilities. Built-in local AI LLM delivers smart Q&A and code assistance even offline, turning your phone into a portable computing hub. Features: - File Management and Browser: Supports WiFi and WebDAV file transfer between devices, quick access to code files on mobile, supports cross-screen programming, and allows access to files on mobile via URL for code editing; intuitive directory management interface, supports preview of multiple file formats, and simultaneously supports viewing, editing, decompression, and compression of various documents. - Code Editor: Integrates the VS Code core Monaco editor, delivering a desktop-level editing experience. Supports multi-language syntax highlighting, intelligent code completion and suggestions, and allows customization of multiple editor themes to suit usage habits. - GitHub Integration: Search for open-source projects and specific code snippets, browse trending projects on the platform; supports browsing personal profiles and repositories, and enables direct editing of project code on mobile devices, seamlessly connecting to open-source development. - Code Tools: Store and manage frequently used code snippets for quick insertion, built-in code comparison tool to contrast version differences, provide multi-language code execution environment and hundreds of code template libraries for various languages, enhancing development efficiency. - Database Design: Built-in database design tool supporting MySQL and other types of database design; graphical display of data content, equipped with SQL editor, can directly write and execute MySQL statements, convenient database management. - Remote Connection: Built-in SSH client to connect to remote servers, supports secure SFTP file transfer, allows direct management of remote server files from mobile devices, enabling remote operations anytime, anywhere. ►Unlimited Access Membership Subscription - With this subscription, you can access all features in the application without restrictions. - Subscription charges depend specifically on the selected subscription plan. - When you confirm the purchase, your iTunes account will be charged. - You can turn off auto-renewal 24 hours before the current subscription ends, otherwise it will auto-renew. - The subscription fee will be deducted from your account 24 hours before the current subscription ends, depending on the package you choose. Privacy Policy: http://www.dazhuogroup.com/codemaster/privacy_statement_en.php Terms of Use: http://www.dazhuogroup.com/codemaster/terms_of_use_en.php If you have any questions or concerns, please visit http://www.dazhuogroup.com/codemaster/ and use our customer support email for feedback

Screenshots

RETRO FORTH4 screens
CodeMaster4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: RETRO FORTH at none against CodeMaster's 3. RETRO FORTH also leads on iOS requirement (12.4 vs 16). CodeMaster's advantage is ratings volume (140 vs 5) and review sentiment (44% vs 33%). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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. CodeMaster sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per 7 days. RETRO FORTH asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CodeMaster holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CodeMaster has 140 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 33% of RETRO FORTH's written reviews are positive against 44% of CodeMaster's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 6, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
RETRO FORTH versus CodeMaster: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRETRO FORTHCodeMaster
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (5 ratings)4.6 (140 ratings) — better
Positive reviews33.3% of reviews44.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings5140 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.4 — better16
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB1.5 GB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharles ChildersShanghai Dazhuo Information Technology Co., Ltd.

Customer experience

RETRO FORTH

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive33.3%
Neutral66.7%
Negative0.0%

CodeMaster

All ratings140 ratings
Positive89.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative7.9%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive44.4%
Neutral22.2%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

None

RETRO FORTH

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

CodeMaster

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Membership3 Days trial$1.997 Days
  • Monthly subscription3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Annual Subscription3 Days trial$20.991 Year

Questions

Is RETRO FORTH free?
RETRO FORTH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is CodeMaster free?
CodeMaster is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, RETRO FORTH or CodeMaster?
CodeMaster is rated higher. RETRO FORTH averages 4.4 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while CodeMaster averages 4.6 from 140 ratings.
Do RETRO FORTH or CodeMaster have ads?
Neither RETRO FORTH nor CodeMaster shows ads.
Which is updated more often, RETRO FORTH or CodeMaster?
RETRO FORTH ships an update monthly, and CodeMaster monthly. Most recently, RETRO FORTH was updated on September 6, 2026 and CodeMaster on September 28, 2026.

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