Comparison

Codea vs Code Master

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

Head to head
About

Codea

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
Read full description

"It’s kind of like the Garage Band of coding." – Wired "Codea for iPad is a super slick way to write and run programs on your iPad." – Gizmodo Codea lets you create games and simulations — or just about any visual idea you have. Turn your thoughts into interactive creations that make use of iPad features like Multi-Touch and the accelerometer. We think Codea is the most beautiful code editor you'll use, and it's easy. Codea is designed to let you touch your code. Want to change a color, or an image? Tapping will bring up visual editors that let you choose exactly what you want. Codea is built on the Lua programming language. A simple, elegant language that doesn't rely too much on symbols — a perfect match for iPad. Here's how you use it: type your code. Press play to watch it run. Interact with it. Get creative. FEATURES • A fully featured 2D and 3D renderer • Lots of great example projects to learn from, including games • Touch your code: tap colors, images and sounds to adjust them • Export your finished projects to Xcode to produce real apps • Complete in-line reference documentation accessible from keyboard • Intelligent syntax highlighting and auto-completing code editor • Import your own assets from Dropbox • Full 2D and 3D physics engines for complex motion • Add parameters so you can tweak variables at runtime • Interact with accelerometer and multi-touch on your device • Generate retro-game sound effects • GLSL Shader Language support with live shader editor • Bluetooth keyboard support and keyboard shortcuts • Air Code: code live from your PC using WiFi • Much, much more IMPORTANT INFORMATION • Join the forums at https://talk.codea.io to ask questions, share ideas and get help when you need it • If you need help or wish to get in contact with us, please use the support link on this page • Privacy policy https://codea.io/privacy • Terms https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ SUBSCRIPTION • Codea is free to use for projects up to 500 lines, after which you can subscribe to Codea Pro for access to advanced features and unlimited project size • Monthly and yearly plans available • Lifetime one-time purchase also available • Pricing may vary by region. Your subscription will automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings.

About

Code Master

This app offers a visual interface for creating and editing source code for any language, with preview and publishing options. It provides a professional way to manage and share your coding projects on iOS devices, supporting over 170 languages and offering various themes and templates.

Highlights
  • Syntax highlighting for 170+ languages
  • 70+ syntax colored themes
  • HTML5 templates and website builder
  • Live code preview in browser
  • File upload and sharing
  • External keyboard support
Features
Read full description

The most downloaded code editor on the App Store, now free. The Code Master Programming Suite for the iOS platform provides a visual interface for creating and editing universal source code of any language, as well as previewing and publishing options for when you are on-the-go. All of this packaged up into a single application for a professional way to manage and share your creations on all of your iOS devices. FEATURES • Dedicated Syntax Highlighting • Support for 170+ Languages • 70+ Syntax Coloured Themes • Free HTML5 Templates • New Website Template Builder • Create & Work with Any Type of File • Dedicated Web Development Support • Preview Code in a Fully Functional Web Browser • Upload & Share Files with Ease • External Dock & Bluetooth Keyboard Support • File Previews for Supported Media Files Use Code Master to stay on top of the latest in web publishing tools. HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, jQuery and more have been fully integrated into the full fledged editor. EDITOR Code like you would on a desktop computer – with over 170 languages, and more than 70 coloured themes, editing your code on-the-go has never been so easy. Develop in a comfortable environment with the same look and feel that you'd get with any fully featured, premium code editor. TEMPLATES Choose from one of our professionally designed HTML5 templates that are available to users, commercial-free! Turning website building from a complex process for some, to an easy two-step solution. Code Master is designed for any user looking to save time. All templates have been designed for use with both desktop computers and mobile devices. Optimizations for all device types are included. LIVE PREVIEW Our live preview tool will also allow you to save time by allowing you the ability preview all of your pages and files before publishing. With the tap of a button you can view all your content in the offline browser so you can easily and quickly fix every little detail to avoid embarrassing mistakes. New updates will be arriving on a weekly to monthly basis. There is always something to look forward to. 1e6c5f3933

Screenshots

Codea4 screens
Code Master4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Codea at 90% against Code Master's 28%. Codea also leads on rating (4.5 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Code Master's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and iOS requirement (8.0 vs 18.6). On price, ratings volume, ads and device support 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Codea holds the better App Store score, 4.5 against 2.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 55 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 90% of Codea's written reviews are positive against 28% of Code Master's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, Code Master every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
Codea versus Code Master: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodeaCode Master
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (126 ratings) — better2.7 (55 ratings)
Positive reviews89.6% of reviews — better28.3% of reviews
Number of ratings126 — better55
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.68.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size217 MB46 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTwo Lives LeftJustin Bush

Customer experience

Codea

All ratings126 ratings
Positive86.5%
Neutral4.0%
Negative9.5%
Written reviews309 reviews
Positive89.6%
Neutral4.9%
Negative5.5%

Code Master

All ratings55 ratings
Positive38.2%
Neutral10.9%
Negative50.9%
Written reviews145 reviews
Positive28.3%
Neutral11.0%
Negative60.7%

User reviews

Codea

From 126 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 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

Room to improve

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

Code Master

From 55 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great app for rebuilding retro webpages
  • 👍 Helpful for coding on the go
  • 🚀 Impressive and technologically advanced

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes frequently
  • 🐛 Bugs and glitches
  • 🐛 Unstable and unreliable
  • 🔒 Aggressive upgrade prompts
  • 🔒 Unusable free version

Bugs and requests

Codea

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

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

Code Master

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Saved files disappearing or not loading correctly
  • Syntax highlighting and language settings not persisting
  • Keyboard blocking view of code
  • Frequent crashes and freezes

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add blank page option for custom themes
  • Implement cloud storage support (Dropbox, Google Drive)
  • Improve keyboard functionality and text editing
  • Introduce code execution and debugging capabilities
  • Provide more language support beyond HTML/XML

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Codea

Subscriptions2
  • Codea Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • Codea Pro (Yearly)$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • Codea Pro Lifetime$99.99
None

Code Master

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Codea free?
Codea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Code Master free?
Code Master is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Codea or Code Master?
Codea is rated higher. Codea averages 4.5 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Code Master averages 2.7 from 55 ratings.
Do Codea or Code Master have ads?
Neither Codea nor Code Master shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codea or Code Master?
Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, and Code Master every 5 months. Most recently, Codea was updated on October 2, 2026 and Code Master on September 30, 2026.

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