iAltair vs H.C.I.S
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.
H.C.I.S
This platform facilitates secure communication between schools and homes. It offers group messaging, private conversations, and district-wide alerts to foster a connected school community through a simple interface.
- Group messaging
- Private conversations
- District-wide alerts
- School-to-home communication
- Simple user interface
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HCIS edu is a safe and secure platform for school-to-home communication. The group messaging, private conversations, district-wide alerts and notices, and simple user interface keeps everyone connected, creating a vibrant school community.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: H.C.I.S at every 3 weeks against iAltair's every 11 months. H.C.I.S also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 15.4). iAltair's advantage is ratings volume (22 vs 1). On price, rating, ads and in-app purchases 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.
H.C.I.S holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iAltair has 22 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.
iAltair ships an update every 11 months, H.C.I.S every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | iAltair | H.C.I.S |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (22 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 75.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 22 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 11 months | Every 3 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 15.4 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 10 MB | 54 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Peter Schorn | Zaw Win Htun |
Customer experience
iAltair
H.C.I.S
In-app purchases
iAltair
No in-app purchases
H.C.I.S
No in-app purchases
