# Codea vs Atten

The clearest difference is rating: Atten at 4.7 against Codea's 4.5. On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Codea sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Atten sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Atten holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 139 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 90% and 90% positive.

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, Atten weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Codea | Atten |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (126 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codea/id439571171/reviews) | **[4.7 (139 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atten-app-blocker/id6608976383/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 126 | **139** |
| Positive reviews | 89.6% of reviews | **90.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 217 MB | 34 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Two Lives Left](https://appshunter.io/developer/335953314) | [Third tech](https://appshunter.io/developer/1761143871) |

## 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


### Atten

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/atten-app-blocker/id6608976383)

This app helps you regain control of your digital time by blocking distracting apps and websites. Set customizable limits and schedules to improve focus, boost productivity, and build healthier screen time habits.

**Highlights:** App and website blocking, Customizable limits and schedules, Strict mode for unbreakable focus, Multi-device sync, Parental controls, Usage and progress tracking

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Plan | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Plan | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Plan | $19.99 | per year |
| Atten Pro \| Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |
| Atten Pro \| Lifetime (Family) | $44.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💰 Affordable pricing compared to competitors like Opal
- 🔒 Effective strict blocking that prevents app access
- 🎨 Beautiful and intuitive user interface design
- ⏱️ Customizable scheduling and time limits for apps
- 🎯 Significantly reduces screen time and improves focus

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 App crashes and occasional bugs during use
- 🐛 Glitches allowing access to blocked apps intermittently
- ⏱️ Inaccurate app usage time tracking
- 🔄 Repetitive rating popup appears too frequently
- 🌍 Limited language support (primarily English)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes when selecting websites to block
- Website blocking crashes and is unreliable
- Cannot modify or delete permanently active sessions without reinstalling
- Unselected apps still get blocked despite deselection
- Instagram blocking not working while other social apps block correctly

**Requested features**

- Fully customizable popup messages without fixed text
- Option to add 'Don't show this again' button to rating prompts
- Less frequent rating/feedback popups (every 6-12 months)
- Clone sessions or create reusable app lists
- Move break button to main menu for easier access


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Codea free?

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

### Is Atten free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Codea or Atten?

Atten is rated higher. Codea averages 4.5 out of 5 from 126 ratings, while Atten averages 4.7 from 139 ratings.

### Do Codea or Atten have ads?

Neither Codea nor Atten shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Codea or Atten?

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, and Atten weekly. Most recently, Codea was updated on October 2, 2026 and Atten on September 28, 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.*