Comparison

Pyto IDE vs Sensor Playground

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

Head to head
About

Pyto IDE

This app offers a powerful integrated development environment for Python, C, and C++ on iOS devices. It includes a Python interpreter with extensive libraries, a C/C++ compiler, a terminal, and a code editor with advanced features like code completion and debugging.

Highlights
  • Python 3.10 Interpreter
  • C/C++ Compiler
  • Code Editor with Completion
  • Terminal with UNIX Commands
  • Graphical Interface Builder
  • Debugging Support
  • Shortcuts and Picture in Picture
Features
Read full description

Pyto is an IDE for iPhone and iPad with a Python 3.10 Interpreter and all of the standard libraries plus more than 100 third party packages, as well as a C & C++ compiler and bitcode interpreter. Includes a terminal with standard UNIX commands, a code editor with code completion, support for Shortcuts, Picture in Picture, a graphical interface builder and a debugger. * Full version exclusive third party modules * - Cython, cryptography, typed_ast, cv2, _cffi_backend, kiwisolver, matplotlib, numpy, pandas, lxml, Bio, sklearn, skimage, scipy, erfa, pywt, nacl, bcrypt, statsmodels, zmq, regex, gensim, astropy, emd, wasm3, yaml * Built-in UNIX commands * - alias, awk, cat, chflags, chmod, cksum, clang, compress, cp, curl, date, diff, dig, du, egrep, env, fgrep, find, grep, gunzip, gzip, head, host, ifconfig, link, lli, llvm-link, ln, ls, md5, mkdir, mv, nc, nslookup, open, openurl, pbcopy, pbpaste, ping, printenv, pwd, readlink, rlogin, rm, rmdir, say, scp, sed, sftp, sort, ssh, ssh-keygen, stat, sum, tail, tar, tee, telnet, touch, tr, unalias, uname, uncompress, uniq, unlink, uptime, wc, whoami, whois, wol Take advantage system features with the following modules: - pyto_ui - Build an user interface - widgets - Home Screen Widgets - file_system - iOS file system - notifications - Schedule notifications - remote_notifications - Receive remote notifications - background - Run code in background - pasteboard - Clipboard access - userkeys - Save values on disk - sound - Play sounds - music - Access the Apple Music library - photos - Accessing photos and the camera - location - Access user's location - motion - Motion sensors - multipeer - Peer to peer wireless connection - apps - Open third party apps - xcallback - Interact with other apps - sf_symbols - A list of SF Symbols names - watch - Complications and static user interfaces for the Apple Watch

About

Sensor Playground

Features
Read full description

Sensor Playground turns your phone into a live dashboard for DIY sensor nodes built on the ESP32 or a Raspberry Pi class single-board computer. Flash the free companion firmware onto your board, wire up a supported sensor, and the app finds the node automatically on your local network or via Bluetooth LE — no cloud, no account, no registration. Readings appear as clear cards and live charts, updated in real time. CONTINUOUSLY GROWING Development is ongoing: updates ship regularly, and support for new sensors is added continuously. If your favourite sensor is not on the list yet, chances are it will arrive in one of the next updates. HIGHLIGHTS • Automatic discovery of sensor nodes over Wi-Fi (LAN) and Bluetooth LE • Live cards and charts for every measured quantity • Air-quality rating derived from IAQ, CO₂ or eCO₂/TVOC readings • Dedicated screens for gesture, distance and contact sensors • Send bitmaps to an SSD1306 OLED display node • Signal-strength badge for Bluetooth nodes • °C/°F switch, English and German, screen-reader friendly • Everything stays on your own network: TLS-encrypted and API-key protected — no cloud involved SUPPORTED SENSORS (and counting) • Environment & air quality: BME680, BME280, SCD30, SGP30, MCP9808, SHT31, SHT41, AHT10/AHT20, CozIR-A • Light & optical: SI1145 (sunlight/UV), TCS34725 (color), analog light sensor • Motion & orientation: IMU 10DOF, MPU6050, MMA7660 • Infrared temperature: MLX90615 (non-contact) • Positioning: Air530 GNSS/GPS • Event-driven: PAJ7620 gesture, VL53L0X laser distance, button, hall sensor, magnetic switch, PIR motion, vibration • Display: SSD1306 OLED (128×64) GOOD TO KNOW • You need at least one sensor node: an ESP32 or a Raspberry Pi class board running the free, open companion firmware. Arduino sketches and Python scripts are available for every supported sensor. • A built-in simulated sensor lets you explore the app before any hardware is connected. • Scanning and discovery are free for all sensors. Data visualisation for a few selected sensors requires a one-time in-app licence purchase, which supports the ongoing development. Whether you are a maker, a teacher, a student or simply curious about the air in your room — Sensor Playground makes hardware experiments visible.

Screenshots

Pyto IDE4 screens
Sensor Playground4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Sensor Playground at every 3 days against Pyto IDE's every 8 days. Pyto IDE's advantage is chart position (#28 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Pyto IDE sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Sensor Playground sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pyto IDE ships an update every 8 days, Sensor Playground every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Pyto IDE versus Sensor Playground: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPyto IDESensor Playground
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (995 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews35.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings995 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#28 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size922 MB26 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperDevelobile S.p.A.Peter Sauer

Bugs and requests

Pyto IDE

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Inability to run scripts after a few executions
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Paywall issues - app asking to repurchase after prior purchase

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved code editor with better keyboard support
  • Ability to read/write external files (CSV, TXT, etc.)
  • Support for more Python libraries like Selenium, Tensorflow
  • Longer trial period for new users

Sensor Playground

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Pyto IDE

One-time4
  • 3-day TrialFree
  • Upgrade to Full Version$6.99
  • Lite Version$7.99
Show 1 more
  • Full Version$14.99
1 purchases

Sensor Playground

One-time1
  • Licence$0.99

Questions

Is Pyto IDE free?
Pyto IDE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Sensor Playground free?
Sensor Playground is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pyto IDE or Sensor Playground have ads?
Neither Pyto IDE nor Sensor Playground shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pyto IDE or Sensor Playground?
Pyto IDE ships an update every 8 days, and Sensor Playground every 3 days. Most recently, Pyto IDE was updated on October 13, 2026 and Sensor Playground on September 26, 2026.

Other comparisons