Codea vs Blanks
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 2D and 3D renderer
- Touch-based visual editors
- Lua programming language
- Export to Xcode
- Physics engines
- GLSL shader editor
- Import assets from Dropbox
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"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.
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.
- AI-powered app generation
- No-code development
- Chat-based editing
- Collaborative building
- Instant app preview
- Secure sandbox environment
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, Blanks weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Codea | Blanks |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (126 ratings) | 4.5 (125 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 89.6% of reviews — better | 62.5% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 126 — better | 125 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Weekly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 217 MB | 58 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Two Lives Left | Polsia Inc |
Customer experience
Codea
Blanks
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
Codea
- Codea Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
- Codea Pro (Yearly)$29.991 Year
- Codea Pro Lifetime$99.99
Blanks
- Blanks Pro$19.991 Month
- Blanks Pro Yearly3 Days trial$99.991 Year









