Comparison

Scarlet vs The Developer

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

Head to head
About

Scarlet

A personal issue tracker designed for solo developers and hobby projects. It saves data locally to a file, eliminating the need for accounts, cloud services, or syncing. Easily manage and close project tasks with simple tagging for organization.

Highlights
  • Personal issue tracker
  • Local file saving
  • No accounts or cloud services
  • Simple task management
  • Tagging for organization
Read full description

Let's face it, there are a lot of developers who like the idea of an issue tracker, but find it too much effort to use & maintain for solo, indie or hobby projects. Enter Scarlet. Scarlet is a personal issue tracker that saves to a file that you can include in your project directory, or anywhere you prefer. No accounts, no cloud services, no syncing, no third-party integration. Just a simple place to file away your project's to-dos and close them when they're complete. Add tags to an issue to help organize things, and that's it — it really couldn't be simpler.

About

The Developer

Embark on an interactive tutorial with a unique story to learn programming and build your own app. This app guides beginners through the entire process, from setup to App Store submission, in under an hour.

Highlights
  • Interactive programming tutorial
  • Learn Swift and Xcode
  • App submission guide
  • iOS and watchOS development
  • Beginner-friendly lessons
  • Create your first app in under an hour
Features
Read full description

In the near future a programmer by the name The Developer develops an application called "Trillion Dollar App" that sends the world into chaos. He is forced to travel back in time to correct his ways so that his past self can develop a better application for the world. Welcome to the world of The Developer. A fun interactive tutorial with a very twisted story. Aside from a crazy far fetched story the app teach an important lesson - How to code and release you very own app to the App Store in less than one hour from A to Z. This is is intended for beginners wishing to learn Xcode/Swift programming. The app includes the following lessons: iOS Version: Chapter 1 - Items required to get started Chapter 2 - How to register and become a developer Chapter 3 - Creating your first Xcode Template Chapter 4 - Swift Basics Chapter 5 - Build and Test your app Chapter 6 - Dressing your app Chapter 7 - Uploading your project to the App Store Chapter 8 - Application guidelines Chapter 9 - Updating your app watchOS Version: Chapter 1 - Items required to get started Chapter 2 - How to register and become a developer Chapter 3 - Creating your first Xcode Template - New Chapter 4 - Swift Basics - New Chapter 5 - Build and Test your app - New Chapter 6 - Dressing your app - New Chapter 7 - Uploading your project to the App Store - New Chapter 8 - Application guidelines - New Chapter 9 - Updating your app - New Happy Coding!

Screenshots

Scarlet2 screens
The Developer4 screens

Verdict

The call

Scarlet and The Developer both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 92% of Scarlet's written reviews are positive against 0% of The Developer's. Scarlet also leads on ratings volume (294 vs 5) and device support (5 vs 3). The Developer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and price ($0.99 vs $2.99). On rating, update cadence, ads and chart position 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

Scarlet costs $2.99 and The Developer $0.99 up front. Scarlet sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. The Developer asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Scarlet against 4.4 for The Developer. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scarlet has 294 ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 92% of Scarlet's written reviews are positive against 0% of The Developer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 months. Both last shipped on October 9, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Scarlet versus The Developer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterScarletThe Developer
Price$2.99$0.99 — better
Rating4.5 (294 ratings) — better4.4 (5 ratings)
Positive reviews92.5% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings294 — better5
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank#87 — better#153
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size3 MB2.4 GB
Age rating4+9+
DeveloperSteven Troughton-SmithSalvatore La Mattina

Customer experience

Scarlet

All ratings294 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral3.7%
Negative10.9%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive92.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative7.5%

The Developer

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative20.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

Scarlet

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Data loss when browsing issues
  • Added items not saved after closing and reopening
  • Only original items persist after multiple sessions
  • Permanent data loss during normal usage

Requested features

2 requests
  • Auto-open last used file on startup
  • Support for popular apps and mods installation

The Developer

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Scarlet

One-time1
  • Scarlet (Full Unlock)$3.99
None

The Developer

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Scarlet free?
Scarlet costs $2.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is The Developer free?
The Developer costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Scarlet or The Developer?
Scarlet is rated higher. Scarlet averages 4.5 out of 5 from 294 ratings, while The Developer averages 4.4 from 5 ratings.
Do Scarlet or The Developer have ads?
Neither Scarlet nor The Developer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Scarlet or The Developer?
Scarlet ships an update every 3 months, and The Developer every 3 months. Most recently, Scarlet was updated on October 9, 2026 and The Developer on October 9, 2026.
Which is more popular, Scarlet or The Developer?
Scarlet currently peaks at #87 in the App Store charts, and The Developer at #153. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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