Comparison

App Designer vs UIKit Lab

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

Head to head
About

App Designer

Features
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Turn your iPhone, iPad or Mac into a powerful Swift development environment. App Designer lets you write, run, preview, organize, and debug Swift code directly on your device — completely offline and without Xcode. Build SwiftUI, UIKit, and RealityKit projects with live code execution, a built-in canvas preview, professional editing tools, Xcode project import/export, and an integrated AI assistant that can work offline or with your own online provider. Write Swift Anywhere Run Swift code instantly and see real-time output while you build. Preview SwiftUI and UIKit interfaces side by side with your code and bring your ideas to life directly on your device. Professional Code Editor Enjoy syntax highlighting with 89 color themes, smart autocomplete for Swift, SwiftUI, and UIKit, adjustable font size, line wrap, bracket matching, and automatic bracket insertion. Built-in Debugging Tools Set breakpoints, step through your code, highlight the current execution line, and view inline errors and warnings directly in the editor. SwiftUI, UIKit & RealityKit Create modern SwiftUI interfaces with VStack, HStack, NavigationStack, @State, gestures, animations, and more. Build UIKit views with buttons, labels, Auto Layout, and Core Animation. Explore 3D content with RealityKit, including RealityView, MeshResource, and Entity loading. Xcode Project Import & Export Import existing Xcode projects, continue working on the go, and export them back to Xcode when you're ready to keep building on your Mac. Project & Asset Management Manage your growing app gallery with folders, multiple pages, sorting options, Spotlight-style search, and an “Only Active” filter. Browse resources with a built-in file explorer, import images and files, add custom app icons, personalize your gallery with wallpapers, and duplicate, rename, or delete projects with ease. Learn by Example Start quickly with built-in example projects covering SwiftUI animations, UIKit layouts, file handling, image manipulation, and more. 100% Offline No internet connection required. App Designer gives you the tools to build real Swift apps right from your pocket. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

UIKit Lab

An interactive guide for designers to explore and customize UI components. Visualize and understand interface essentials through hands-on demos. Get a feel for how components look and behave with real-time adjustments.

Highlights
  • Interactive UI component demos
  • Browse organized interface essentials
  • Customize UI components
  • Real-time visual feedback
  • Designed for designers
Features
Read full description

UIKit Lab is an interactive guide to UIKit for designers. Browse interface essentials that are thoughtfully organized. Play with interactive demos of UI components. Customize UI components to quickly get a sense of their new look and feel right from UIKit Lab.

Screenshots

App Designer4 screens
UIKit Lab4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: UIKit Lab at Free against App Designer's $2.99. UIKit Lab also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 3). App Designer's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 4 weeks) and chart position (#52 vs unranked). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

UIKit Lab is free to download; App Designer costs $2.99 up front. App Designer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. UIKit Lab asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

App Designer ships an update weekly, UIKit Lab every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
App Designer versus UIKit Lab: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApp DesignerUIKit Lab
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating—4.5 (43 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—70.6% of reviews
Number of ratings—43 — better
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
Best chart rank#52 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size40 MB25 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNorbert GriegerWenchang Yang

In-app purchases

3 purchases

App Designer

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly3 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly3 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pro Lifetime$49.99
None

UIKit Lab

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is App Designer free?
App Designer costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is UIKit Lab free?
UIKit Lab is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do App Designer or UIKit Lab have ads?
Neither App Designer nor UIKit Lab shows ads.
Which is updated more often, App Designer or UIKit Lab?
App Designer ships an update weekly, and UIKit Lab every 4 weeks. Most recently, App Designer was updated on September 23, 2026 and UIKit Lab on September 17, 2026.

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