# TN5250 vs NCPSMA

The clearest difference is price: NCPSMA at Free against TN5250's $29.99. TN5250's advantage is chart position (#155 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

NCPSMA is free to download; TN5250 costs $29.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

TN5250 ships an update every 5 months, NCPSMA every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TN5250 | NCPSMA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $29.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.0 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tn5250/id284741179/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **14** | — |
| Positive reviews | 70.5% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#155** | — |
| Size | 5 MB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [MochaSoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/284741182) | [NC Public School Maintenance Association](https://appshunter.io/developer/1725317754) |

## What reviewers say

### TN5250

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tn5250/id284741179)

**Currently charting:** #155 Top Paid · Business (US App Store)

This app provides easy access to an AS/400 (IBM iSeries) midrange server. It offers standard 5250 emulation features, secure connections, and convenient input methods like voice and barcode scanning.

**Highlights:** 5250 emulation, SSL/TLS security, Voice input, Barcode scanning, Customizable colors, Auto login

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### NCPSMA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ncpsma/id6475873340)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TN5250 free?

TN5250 costs $29.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is NCPSMA free?

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

### Do TN5250 or NCPSMA have ads?

Neither TN5250 nor NCPSMA shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TN5250 or NCPSMA?

TN5250 ships an update every 5 months, and NCPSMA every 4 months. Most recently, TN5250 was updated on October 15, 2026 and NCPSMA on October 10, 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.*