Comparison

Codea vs Paraphrase Tool

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

Paraphrase Tool

This AI-powered tool helps you rewrite sentences and correct grammar to improve your writing. It can adjust the tone and enhance clarity in various languages, making it ideal for professionals, students, and creative individuals seeking to express their ideas perfectly.

Highlights
  • AI-powered paraphrasing
  • Grammar correction
  • Sentence rewriting
  • Tone adjustment
  • Multi-language support
  • Clarity enhancement
Features
Read full description

Effortless Rewriting, Perfect Expression! Refine your writing with AI-powered paraphrasing and grammar correction. Rewrite sentences, adjust tone, and enhance clarity in multiple languages—perfect for professionals, students, and creatives alike! Struggling to rephrase your ideas? We've got you covered! Paraphrase Tool uses cutting-edge AI technology to transform your text while preserving its meaning. Whether you're refining a sentence, rewriting a paragraph, or adjusting the tone to fit your needs, our intelligent tool makes it seamless. Share your feedback with us at paraphrase.tool.contact@gmail.com. Privacy Policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ipvXEEi2fq8r4hCF2Ab7C0cY139BRyJZ Terms of Use: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vEutLrisw6C2WXi5MTQt2CFzZNDz6HXS

Screenshots

Codea4 screens
Paraphrase Tool4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Paraphrase Tool at 4.7 against Codea's 4.5. Paraphrase Tool also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.6). Codea's advantage is review sentiment (90% vs 80%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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 and Paraphrase Tool sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Paraphrase Tool holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 231 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 90% of Codea's written reviews are positive against 80% of Paraphrase Tool's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, Paraphrase Tool every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Codea versus Paraphrase Tool: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodeaParaphrase Tool
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (126 ratings)4.7 (231 ratings) — better
Positive reviews89.6% of reviews — better79.7% of reviews
Number of ratings126231 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size217 MB26 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTwo Lives LeftPatrik Racskai

Customer experience

Codea

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

Paraphrase Tool

All ratings231 ratings
Positive91.8%
Neutral3.9%
Negative4.3%
Written reviews59 reviews
Positive79.7%
Neutral5.1%
Negative15.3%

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

Paraphrase Tool

From 231 App Store ratings

What we love

  • ✨ Multiple paraphrasing tone options
  • 👍 User-friendly and simple interface
  • 🎯 Effective for writing emails, essays, and speeches
  • ⚡ Quick and efficient paraphrasing
  • 💰 Lifetime subscription option available

Room to improve

  • 💳 Misleading lifetime subscription billing practices
  • 🔄 Subscription not syncing across devices
  • 📱 Limited to portrait mode on iPad
  • 🔔 Excessive review request notifications
  • 🐛 Restore purchase feature not working

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

Paraphrase Tool

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Lifetime subscription requires repayment on different devices
  • Restore purchase fails repeatedly
  • Subscription status not displaying correctly after AppAdvice promotion
  • App repeatedly asks for payment despite active subscription
  • Free lifetime option advertised but not available in purchase flow
Show 1 more
  • Subscription attachment to email not persisting after app updates

Requested features

3 requests
  • Landscape mode support for iPad
  • Multi-language support
  • Reduce in-app review request frequency

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
4 purchases

Paraphrase Tool

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Access$3.991 Month
  • Pro Access3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time2
  • Lifetime AccessFree
  • Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is Codea free?
Codea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Paraphrase Tool free?
Paraphrase Tool is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Codea or Paraphrase Tool?
Paraphrase Tool is rated higher. Codea averages 4.5 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Paraphrase Tool averages 4.7 from 231 ratings.
Do Codea or Paraphrase Tool have ads?
Neither Codea nor Paraphrase Tool shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codea or Paraphrase Tool?
Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, and Paraphrase Tool every 3 weeks. Most recently, Codea was updated on October 2, 2026 and Paraphrase Tool on September 22, 2026.

Other comparisons