Lua IDE vs Love2D Launcher
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Lua IDE
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.
- Syntax highlighting
- Module support
- Offline reference manual
- Works offline
- Cloud storage support
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• Lua IDE with syntax highlighting • Support requiring modules • Reference manual • Works completely offline • Cloud storage support, including iCloud
Love2D Launcher
Run Love2D Lua game projects directly on your iPhone or iPad. Features an integrated Lua editor, Git integration, and an on-device AI assistant for coding and debugging.
- Love2D 11.x engine on iOS
- Integrated Lua code editor
- Git repository cloning
- On-device AI code assistant
- Real-time syntax checking
- Console log output
- Export projects as ZIP
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Love2D Launcher runs real LÖVE 2D projects on iPhone and iPad. Import your Lua game from the Files app or clone it from Git, edit it in a proper code editor, and ask an AI assistant about it — one that runs on your device, with the network off. REAL LÖVE 2D, NOT AN EMULATION The LÖVE 11.x engine, compiled natively for iOS. Physics, audio, graphics, shaders, fonts — what you wrote on desktop runs here, and when it doesn't you get the full Lua stack trace instead of a shrug. AN AI ASSISTANT THAT NEVER LEAVES YOUR DEVICE Ask about your own code and get answers from a model running on your device. Where Apple Intelligence is available it works straight away, with nothing to download. Or pick from a curated catalog of open models — Qwen, Llama, Gemma, Phi, SmolLM and more — sized for your device and run locally through Apple MLX, or import your own. On a plane, on the subway, with Wi-Fi off — it still answers. No account, no subscription, no token counter, nothing uploaded and nothing logged. Free for 14 days. A LUA EDITOR THAT KEEPS UP Syntax highlighting, LÖVE API autocomplete, real-time syntax checking through the Lua C API, multiple tabs, find and replace across the whole project, and a code toolbar that puts brackets and indentation a tap away. Five editor themes, light and dark. GIT, WHEREVER YOUR CODE LIVES GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, Codeberg, and any self-hosted Forgejo instance. Clone, switch branch, pull, commit and push without leaving the app. Access tokens stay in the Keychain and never leave your device. BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO SHIP • Full Lua stack traces, with the failing line marked in the editor • Console output from print() while the game is running • Record your gameplay and share the clip • Export any project as a ZIP • Import from Files, iCloud Drive, or any document provider • iPhone and iPad, portrait and landscape WHAT'S FREE Importing and running your projects is free, with no limits and no ads. The editor, Git and the AI assistant are one-off purchases — take only the one you need, or the bundle. The editor and the AI assistant are free for 14 days, and the countdown only starts the first time you open a project in the editor. Git gives you one free clone from a public repository before you decide. LÖVE 2D is an open-source framework (love2d.org). Love2D Launcher is an independent app, not affiliated with or endorsed by the LÖVE Development Team.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lua IDE at 59% against Love2D Launcher's 0%. Lua IDE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 4) and rating (3.4 vs 3.0). Love2D Launcher's advantage is update cadence (every 9 days vs every 7 months). On price, ads 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
Both are free to download. Love2D Launcher sells 4 one-off in-app purchases. Lua IDE asks for nothing beyond the download.
Lua IDE holds the better App Store score, 3.4 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lua IDE has 22 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 59% of Lua IDE's written reviews are positive against 0% of Love2D Launcher's.
Lua IDE ships an update every 7 months, Love2D Launcher every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Lua IDE | Love2D Launcher |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.4 (22 ratings) — better | 3.0 (3 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 59.3% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Wenhuan Li | Mercurio Solutions |
Customer experience
Lua IDE
Love2D Launcher
In-app purchases
Lua IDE
No in-app purchases
Love2D Launcher
- Git Operations$2.99
- Code Editor$2.99
- AI Assistant$4.99
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- Pro Bundle$8.99









