Comparison

LispPad Go vs CraftOS

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

Head to head
About

LispPad Go

This app is a lightweight development environment for writing and running Scheme code on iOS. It features a Scheme interpreter, a console for interaction, and a text editor with syntax highlighting and smart indentation. It supports R7RS standard Scheme with a wide range of libraries, including iOS-specific ones.

Highlights
  • Integrated Scheme interpreter
  • Read-eval-print loop console
  • Syntax highlighting text editor
  • R7RS standard Scheme support
  • iOS-specific libraries
  • Hygienic macros
  • Full numerical tower support
Features
Read full description

LispPad Go is a simple, lightweight, integrated development environment for developing and running Scheme code on iOS. The language supported by LispPad Go is based on the R7RS standard of the Scheme programming language. LispPad Go provides the following components: • A fully integrated Scheme interpreter • A console with a read-eval-print loop to interact with the interpreter • A text editor for writing Scheme code, supporting syntax highlighting, smart indentation, parenthesis matching, etc. • A large range of libraries, including iOS-specific libraries e.g. for networking, graphics, audio, databases, archival, text processing, etc. • Support for the Shortcuts app, allowing the execution of LispPad programs as standalone applications The Scheme dialect supported by LispPad Go provides the following features: • R7RS-compliant libraries • Hygienic macros based on syntax-rules • First-class environments • call/cc, dynamic-wind and exceptions • Dynamically-scoped parameters • Multiple return values • Delayed execution via promises and streams • Support for the full numerical tower consisting of arbitrary size integers, rationals, real numbers, and inexact complex numbers. • Unicode strings and characters • Vectors and bytevectors • Text and binary ports • R7RS-compliant extensible records • R6RS-compliant hashtables and enumerations • Threads

About

CraftOS

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
Read full description

CraftOS-PC is a fantasy terminal that allows you to write and run programs inside an ‘80s-style text console. CraftOS-PC emulates the popular Minecraft mod "ComputerCraft", which adds programmable computers to Minecraft using the Lua programming language. CraftOS-PC takes this experience outside Minecraft to allow you to run the same programs anywhere you go. CraftOS-PC provides a set of functions (called APIs) that make it super easy to do simple tasks such as write text to the screen, read files, and more. The simplicity of these functions makes CraftOS-PC great for new programmers, but their power makes it possible to write all sorts of complex programs with less code. If you aren’t ready to write programs yet, there’s already a large number of programs for ComputerCraft that will work in CraftOS-PC, ranging from simple games to whole graphical operating systems. These can be downloaded through the built-in Pastebin and GitHub Gist clients. • Full Lua 5.2+ scripting environment and command-line REPL • 16-color text-based terminal display • Expansive virtual filesystem for program and data storage • Built-in shell with syntax similar to most desktop shells • APIs to easily access terminal, filesystem, Internet, event queue, and more • Built-in programs make it easy to navigate & edit files without a single line of code • Plenty of help documents to assist programmers • Compatibility with thousands of existing ComputerCraft programs • Over 3x faster than Minecraft mod and comparable emulators • Emulation of all peripherals available in ComputerCraft • Easily access configuration from inside CraftOS • Exclusive graphics mode providing up to 256-color, pixel-based screen manipulation • Edit Lua scripts from CraftOS or other code editing apps • Open-source app makes it easy to suggest and contribute changes Documentation on all of the APIs that ComputerCraft provides are available at https://tweaked.cc, and CraftOS-PC’s unique APIs are described at https://www.craftos-pc.cc/docs/. Join the CraftOS-PC community at https://www.craftos-pc.cc/discord!

Screenshots

LispPad Go4 screens
CraftOS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LispPad Go at none against CraftOS's 1. LispPad Go also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 4 months) and review sentiment (96% vs 88%). CraftOS's advantage is chart position (#192 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for LispPad Go against 4.8 for CraftOS. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 37 and 17 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 96% of LispPad Go's written reviews are positive against 88% of CraftOS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

LispPad Go ships an update every 2 months, CraftOS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
LispPad Go versus CraftOS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLispPad GoCraftOS
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (37 ratings) — better4.8 (17 ratings)
Positive reviews96.3% of reviews — better88.2% of reviews
Number of ratings37 — better17
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank—#192 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size128 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthias ZengerJack Bruienne

Customer experience

LispPad Go

All ratings37 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews27 reviews
Positive96.3%
Neutral3.7%
Negative0.0%

CraftOS

All ratings17 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive88.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.8%

In-app purchases

None

LispPad Go

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

CraftOS

One-time1
  • Plugin Collection 1$0.99

Questions

Is LispPad Go free?
LispPad Go 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, LispPad Go or CraftOS?
LispPad Go is rated higher. LispPad Go averages 4.9 out of 5 from 37 ratings, while CraftOS averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.
Do LispPad Go or CraftOS have ads?
Neither LispPad Go nor CraftOS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, LispPad Go or CraftOS?
LispPad Go ships an update every 2 months, and CraftOS every 4 months. Most recently, LispPad Go was updated on October 17, 2026 and CraftOS on October 6, 2026.

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