# HotPaw Basic vs N+Chroma

The clearest difference is price: N+Chroma at Free against HotPaw Basic's $4.99. N+Chroma also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (9.1 vs 12.3). HotPaw Basic's advantage is rating (3.9 vs 3.4) and review sentiment (52% vs 33%). On ratings volume, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

N+Chroma is free to download; HotPaw Basic costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

HotPaw Basic holds the better App Store score, 3.9 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 5 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of HotPaw Basic's written reviews are positive against 33% of N+Chroma's.

HotPaw Basic ships an update every 5 months, N+Chroma every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | HotPaw Basic | N+Chroma |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotpaw-basic/id295464266/reviews)** | [3.4 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/n-plus-chroma/id585828268/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **7** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **52.4% of reviews** | 33.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 2 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Size | 1 MB | 20 MB |
| Requires iOS | 12.3 | **9.1** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853) | [Variable Technologies LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/569541572) |

## What reviewers say

### HotPaw Basic

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotpaw-basic/id295464266)

Experience retro computing by typing and running Basic programs on your iPhone or iPad. This app functions as a programmable calculator and can display simple line graphics, Morse code audio, and perform FFT analysis.

**Highlights:** Retro text-mode Basic interpreter, Programmable calculator functionality, Simple line graphics display, Morse Code audio output, FFT analysis, GPS location support, MQTT and BTLE communications

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### N+Chroma

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/n-plus-chroma/id585828268)

Scan real-world colors using a specialized sensor and view their numerical data in various formats. Save scanned colors to collections for later comparison and analysis under different lighting conditions.

**Highlights:** Scan colors with Chroma-NODE sensor, Display color information (RGB, HEX, L*a*b*, CMYK), Store scanned colors in collections, Compare scanned colors numerically, View color data in D65 and D50 lighting

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is HotPaw Basic free?

HotPaw Basic costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is N+Chroma free?

N+Chroma is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, HotPaw Basic or N+Chroma?

HotPaw Basic is rated higher. HotPaw Basic averages 3.9 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while N+Chroma averages 3.4 from 5 ratings.

### Do HotPaw Basic or N+Chroma have ads?

Neither HotPaw Basic nor N+Chroma shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, HotPaw Basic or N+Chroma?

HotPaw Basic ships an update every 5 months, and N+Chroma every 2 months. Most recently, HotPaw Basic was updated on October 4, 2026 and N+Chroma on October 5, 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.*