# RETRO FORTH vs CodeMaster

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | RETRO FORTH | CodeMaster |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-forth/id1170943580/reviews) | **[4.6 (140 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codemaster-mobile-coding-ide/id1514942957/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 5 | **140** |
| Positive reviews | 33.3% of reviews | **44.4% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Size | 4 MB | 1.5 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.4** | 16 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Charles Childers](https://appshunter.io/developer/900749636) | [Shanghai Dazhuo Information Technology Co., Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1470341377) |

## What reviewers say

### RETRO FORTH

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-forth/id1170943580)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### CodeMaster

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codemaster-mobile-coding-ide/id1514942957)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Membership | $1.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly subscription | $3.99 | per month |
| Annual Subscription | $20.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*