# Lua IDE vs CraftOS

The clearest difference is rating: CraftOS at 4.8 against Lua IDE's 3.4. CraftOS also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 59%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.0). Lua IDE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. CraftOS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Lua IDE asks for nothing beyond the download.

CraftOS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Lua IDE's written reviews are positive against 88% of CraftOS's.

Lua IDE ships an update every 7 months, CraftOS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Lua IDE | CraftOS |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lua-ide/id1549382090/reviews) | **[4.8 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/craftos-pc/id1565893014/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **22** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews | **88.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 2 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wenhuan Li](https://appshunter.io/developer/1243152342) | [Jack Bruienne](https://appshunter.io/developer/1542538425) |

## What reviewers say

### Lua IDE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lua-ide/id1549382090)

A mobile integrated development environment for writing and running Lua code. It offers syntax highlighting, module support, and an offline reference manual. Cloud storage integration is also available.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting, Module support, Offline reference manual, Works offline, Cloud storage support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### CraftOS

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/craftos-pc/id1565893014)

This app emulates a classic text-based computer environment, allowing you to write and run Lua programs. It's perfect for learning to code or exploring existing programs from a popular Minecraft mod, all within a retro terminal interface.

**Highlights:** Lua 5.2+ scripting environment, 16-color text-based terminal, Virtual filesystem, Built-in shell, Extensive APIs, Compatibility with ComputerCraft programs, Exclusive graphics mode

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Plugin Collection 1 | $0.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Lua IDE free?

Lua IDE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is CraftOS free?

CraftOS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Lua IDE or CraftOS?

CraftOS is rated higher. Lua IDE averages 3.4 out of 5 from 22 ratings, while CraftOS averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.

### Do Lua IDE or CraftOS have ads?

Neither Lua IDE nor CraftOS shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Lua IDE or CraftOS?

Lua IDE ships an update every 7 months, and CraftOS every 4 months. Most recently, Lua IDE was updated on October 14, 2026 and CraftOS on October 6, 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.*