Comparison

Codea vs Blanks

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

Blanks

Create custom mobile applications in minutes using AI, with no coding required. Simply describe your app idea, and the platform will generate a functional app. You can then easily add features, edit designs through chat, and collaborate with others.

Highlights
  • AI-powered app generation
  • No-code development
  • Chat-based editing
  • Collaborative building
  • Instant app preview
  • Secure sandbox environment
Features
Read full description

Build your own app, in just a few taps. Blanks is your personal software studio, powered by AI. No code, no setup. Just ideas turned into reality in seconds. Start with an idea Type anything: “habit tracker,” “trip planner,” “gratitude log”, and Blanks instantly builds a working app around it. Add features, fast Browse infinite feature and design ideas, add new elements with a tap, and watch your app grow. Edit by chatting Want a darker background? A new button? Bigger font? Just ask your built-in Product Manager. Your app updates live. Build with friends Share any app with a link. Invite friends to add, edit, and evolve it with you — like a shared doc, but for software. You stay in control with simple privacy and edit settings. Open right into your app The moment you launch Blanks, you land in your personal app, ready to use, edit, or expand. No menus, no noise. Just your software, evolving with you. Secure by design All code runs inside Blanks’ safe sandbox. Nothing is installed. It’s your space to create, explore, and play. Whether you’re prototyping ideas, building tools for your life, or just having fun, Blanks is your blank slate for personal software. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://blanks.so/privacy

Screenshots

Codea4 screens
Blanks4 screens

Verdict

The call

Codea and Blanks both sit at 4.5 stars, but that hides the real split: 90% of Codea's written reviews are positive against 63% of Blanks's. Blanks's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, rating, ratings volume 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 Blanks sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Codea against 4.5 for Blanks. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 126 and 125 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 90% of Codea's written reviews are positive against 63% of Blanks's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, Blanks weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Codea versus Blanks: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodeaBlanks
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (126 ratings)4.5 (125 ratings)
Positive reviews89.6% of reviews — better62.5% of reviews
Number of ratings126 — better125
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size217 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTwo Lives LeftPolsia Inc

Customer experience

Codea

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

Blanks

All ratings125 ratings
Positive88.0%
Neutral3.2%
Negative8.8%
Written reviews16 reviews
Positive62.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative37.5%

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

Blanks

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
2 purchases

Blanks

Subscriptions2
  • Blanks Pro$19.991 Month
  • Blanks Pro Yearly3 Days trial$99.991 Year

Questions

Is Codea free?
Codea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Blanks free?
Blanks is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Codea or Blanks?
Codea and Blanks are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 126 and 125 ratings respectively.
Do Codea or Blanks have ads?
Neither Codea nor Blanks shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codea or Blanks?
Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, and Blanks weekly. Most recently, Codea was updated on October 2, 2026 and Blanks on September 30, 2026.

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