Codea vs tersOS
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.
tersOS
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tersOS is the member app for coworking spaces that run on tersOS. Book a desk, scan in at the door, keep up with your community, and find everything about your membership in one place. BOOK IN SECONDS See what's actually free right now and book a desk, meeting room or studio from your phone. Bookings sit in one calendar alongside what's on at your space. CHECK IN WITH A SCAN Point your camera at the QR code on the door. That's the whole flow. ASK TERSAI An assistant that knows your space, not the internet. Ask what's free on Thursday afternoon, when your invoice is due, or who to talk to about the meeting room. YOUR COMMUNITY, NOT ANOTHER GROUP CHAT A feed for your space and direct messages with the people in it. Ask a question, share something, find the person who knows. EVERYTHING ELSE, IN ONE PLACE - Invoices and what's been paid, always current - Parcels, so you know the moment something arrives for you - Events at your space, with your ticket on your phone - Your team's people, bookings and shared plan - Notifications you can actually tune - Face ID sign-in WITHOUT AN ACCOUNT Browse events and day passes, and look up a booking, without signing in. REQUIRES A SPACE THAT USES TERSOS tersOS is provided by your coworking space. You'll need an account from them to sign in. If your space doesn't run tersOS yet, point them at tersos.io.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: tersOS at none against Codea's 3. tersOS also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Codea sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. tersOS asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | Codea | tersOS |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (126 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 89.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 126 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | 15.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 217 MB | 50 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Two Lives Left | tershouse software agency |
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
tersOS
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
tersOS
No in-app purchases









