# Codea vs HTML ColorCode

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: HTML ColorCode at none against Codea's 3. HTML ColorCode also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and iOS requirement (15.6 vs 18.6). Codea's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Codea sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. HTML ColorCode asks for nothing beyond the download.

HTML ColorCode holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 92 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 90% and 90% positive.

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, HTML ColorCode every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Codea | HTML ColorCode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codea/id439571171/reviews) | **[4.8 (92 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/html-colorcode/id1135472340/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **126** | 92 |
| Positive reviews | 89.6% of reviews | **90.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Ad-supported** |
| Size | 217 MB | 21 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **15.6** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Two Lives Left](https://appshunter.io/developer/335953314) | [masashi012](https://appshunter.io/developer/524897474) |

## What reviewers say

### Codea

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codea/id439571171)

Create interactive games and visual ideas using a touch-friendly code editor. Build projects with 2D/3D rendering, physics, and export them to create real apps. Supports Lua and GLSL.

**Highlights:** 2D and 3D renderer, Touch-based visual editors, Lua programming language, Export to Xcode, Physics engines, GLSL shader editor, Import assets from Dropbox

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Codea Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| Codea Pro (Yearly) | $29.99 | per year |
| Codea Pro Lifetime | $99.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for making games
- 👍 Lets me code when I feel the itch
- 💡 Powerful, Playful Development Environment
- 👍 Fantastic prototyping tool
- 👍 One of the best programming apps on iPad

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Assets don't work
- 🐛 Need Pencil scrolling slider. TOO MUCH ACCIDENTAL WRITING
- 🐛 Crashes frequently
- 🐛 Bugs with keyboard and cursor issues

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when switching between documents
- Xcode export not working with latest version of Xcode
- Keyboard and cursor issues when using Bluetooth keyboard

**Requested features**

- Add ability to import sounds and 3D models
- Improve documentation and provide more tutorials
- Add support for more programming languages beyond Lua


### HTML ColorCode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/html-colorcode/id1135472340)

Find color codes easily with this tool. Select colors from a list, adjust them to your preferences, and get numerical values for use in development. Streamline your workflow for web and app design.

**Highlights:** Select colors from a list, Adjust favorite colors, Display numerical values, Supports web development, Supports Xcode development

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Codea free?

Codea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is HTML ColorCode free?

HTML ColorCode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Codea or HTML ColorCode?

HTML ColorCode is rated higher. Codea averages 4.5 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while HTML ColorCode averages 4.8 from 92 ratings.

### Do Codea or HTML ColorCode have ads?

HTML ColorCode shows ads; Codea does not.

### Which is updated more often, Codea or HTML ColorCode?

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, and HTML ColorCode every 5 weeks. Most recently, Codea was updated on October 6, 2026 and HTML ColorCode on September 26, 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.*