Comparison

HotPaw Basic vs ROMES Probe

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

Head to head
About

HotPaw Basic

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
Read full description

Calling all early-personal-computing fans, remember typing Basic programs into your home computer? HotPaw Basic recreates the retro-experience of a text-mode Basic interpreter, and it runs right on your iPhone or iPad. You can also use HotPaw Basic as a programmable calculator, or for displaying simple line graphics. The HotPaw Basic interpreter supports the minimal Basic language, including: Commands: let if then else endif dim data read restore for to step next while wend goto gosub return ? print input open close end stop mat run new list del save load dir cls rem Functions: int() abs() sgn() rnd() sqr() exp() log() log10() sin() cos() tan() atn() len() val() asc() str$() chr$() hex$() mid$() timer() date$ time$ pi Operators: + - * / mod ^ = and or xor not Also includes new command and functions to support line graphics, Morse Code audio, FFT analysis, GPS location, MQTT and BTLE communications. Line numbers are required. Type in the text of your program and type "run" to run them. See: http://www.hotpaw.com/rhn/basic/iphone/ for a more complete description of the Basic language syntax, commands and functions which this Basic interpreter supports.

About

ROMES Probe

Read full description

ROMES Probe connects to ROMES for on device testing. Currently the following tests are supported: Voice Call, HTTP Down- and upload, Ping, iPerf and GPS Logging

Screenshots

HotPaw Basic1 screens
ROMES Probe1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ROMES Probe at Free against HotPaw Basic's $4.99. HotPaw Basic's advantage is device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (12.3 vs 16.0). On update cadence, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
HotPaw Basic versus ROMES Probe: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHotPaw BasicROMES Probe
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating3.9 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews52.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsEvery 4 months — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone
Requires iOS12.3 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size1 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHotPaw ProductionsRohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG

In-app purchases

None

HotPaw Basic

No in-app purchases

None

ROMES Probe

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is HotPaw Basic free?
HotPaw Basic costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is ROMES Probe free?
ROMES Probe is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do HotPaw Basic or ROMES Probe have ads?
Neither HotPaw Basic nor ROMES Probe shows ads.
Which is updated more often, HotPaw Basic or ROMES Probe?
HotPaw Basic ships an update every 5 months, and ROMES Probe every 4 months. Most recently, HotPaw Basic was updated on October 4, 2026 and ROMES Probe on October 2, 2026.

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