Comparison

App Designer vs UI HandBook

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

Head to head
About

App Designer

Features
Read full description

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 β€” 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 β€œOnly 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

UI HandBook

Features
Read full description

UI HandBook is a tool app that every SwiftUI beginner should try to use! It has the following features: 1. A "WYSIWYG" way to show SwiftUI common code and functions. 2. You can adjust and customize the parameters to get the UI preview, and get the code support in real-time. 3. One-click code copying, allowing you to paste the generated code anywhere using the universal clipboard. 4. One-click linking to relevant Apple Human Interface Guidelines and developer documents. 5. Constant updates with new content in the future. UI HandBook is available for free download. The free version provides basic content. To access the complete content, please unlock it through in-app purchases and enjoy free updates and new content in the future. We are constantly exploring and adding more content and implementation methods to UI HandBook. We look forward to your support!

Screenshots

App Designer4 screens
UI HandBook4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: UI HandBook at Free against App Designer's $2.99. App Designer's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly) and chart position (#52 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

UI HandBook is free to download; App Designer costs $2.99 up front. App Designer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and UI HandBook sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

App Designer ships an update weekly, UI HandBook monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 4 level
App Designer versus UI HandBook: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterApp DesignerUI HandBook
Price$2.99Free β€” better
Update frequencyWeekly β€” betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Best chart rank#52 β€” betterβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.2 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size40 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperNorbert Grieger振捷 周

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
1 purchases

UI HandBook

One-time1
  • Unlock App$4.99

Questions

Is App Designer free?
App Designer costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is UI HandBook free?
UI HandBook is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do App Designer or UI HandBook have ads?
Neither App Designer nor UI HandBook shows ads.
Which is updated more often, App Designer or UI HandBook?
App Designer ships an update weekly, and UI HandBook monthly. Most recently, App Designer was updated on September 23, 2026 and UI HandBook on September 19, 2026.

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