# HotPaw Basic vs ROMES Probe

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | HotPaw Basic | ROMES Probe |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $4.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[3.9 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hotpaw-basic/id295464266/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 52.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Size | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.3** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [HotPaw Productions](https://appshunter.io/developer/285074853) | [Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG](https://appshunter.io/developer/364229795) |

## 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


### ROMES Probe

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/romes-probe/id6445962802)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*