iAltair vs The Assembler
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
iAltair
Experience vintage computing with a simulation of the MITS Altair 8800. Explore old software like CP/M 2 and run programs such as Eliza using built-in BASIC. This self-contained system offers a unique glimpse into early computing history.
- MITS Altair 8800 simulation
- CP/M 2 operating system support
- Built-in BASIC interpreter
- Run Eliza program
- Self-contained system
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iAltair pretends to be a MITS Altair 8800 computer. It allows you to get the feeling of really old software such as the CP/M 2 operating system. The system is fully self contained and does not allow you to remotely add any code but you can try out Basic to run Eliza.
The Assembler
Learn Assembly programming and binary operations by creating pixel art. Each chapter introduces new operations, using 8-bit registers as your canvas to manipulate values and paint an 8x8 image. This app offers a fun, introductory approach to coding fundamentals.
- Learn Assembly programming
- Understand binary operations
- Create pixel art on registers
- Ten chapters with progressive learning
- Interactive 8x8 canvas
- Introduction to programming fundamentals
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Learn Assembly programming and binary operations by painting little pixel art pieces. The app teaches different operations in each of the ten chapters. For each of the chapters you program an image with a limited set of commands. Eight rows of 8-Bit Registers turn into your canvas. Use Assembly to manipulate the values in every register, thus creating an 8x8 painting. 'The Assembler' was made as a small and fun introduction to Assembly, Programming and the Binary system that powers it all. The first version of this app was made for the Swift Student Challenge 2022 and won! I hope that you enjoy this project as much as I have.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: The Assembler at every 5 months against iAltair's every 11 months. iAltair's advantage is iOS requirement (15.4 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for iAltair against 4.8 for The Assembler. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 22 and 10 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 75% of iAltair's written reviews are positive against 78% of The Assembler's.
iAltair ships an update every 11 months, The Assembler every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iAltair | The Assembler |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (22 ratings) | 4.8 (10 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | 77.8% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 10 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 5 months — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Schorn | Lena Mattea Stoexen |
Customer experience
iAltair
The Assembler
In-app purchases
iAltair
No in-app purchases
The Assembler
No in-app purchases
