Comparison

Codea vs OpenKitchen

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 visual projects, games, and simulations using a Lua-based code editor. Features include a 2D/3D renderer, physics engines, and touch-based visual editors. Export your creations to Xcode for app development.

Highlights
  • 2D and 3D renderer
  • Physics engines
  • Touch-based visual editors
  • Export to Xcode
  • Live shader editor
  • Accelerometer and multi-touch interaction
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

OpenKitchen

Features
Read full description

OpenKitchen is a kitchen for AI, and the door is open. Most AI works behind a wall. You hand over a request, you wait, a plate comes out, and you never see how it was made or get to change it halfway. We think AI is only open when you can see into it and change it. So OpenKitchen is built around two things you can always do. GIVE THE ORDER Tell a cook what you want, by voice or by text, in plain words. Each cook is an AI agent (Claude, Codex, Gemini, Qwen or Kimi) working in a kitchen of its own: a real computer in the cloud, always on, with a terminal, a browser and a phone. Say it once. Change the order whenever you like, even while the cook is mid-task. WALK UP TO ANY COUNTER Every counter in every kitchen is open to you at any moment. Tap Preview and you are looking at the cook's own screen. Step in to set something up, clear what is blocking it, check the work, or point it somewhere new. Then step back and let it cook. On a laptop the same kitchen opens full screen, like a machine of your own. EVERY KITCHEN, AT A GLANCE The stage shows all your kitchens and every cook in them: who is busy, who has stopped and needs you, and what each one is on. As you grow, group kitchens into courts: one for a product, one for a client, one for the books. THE SOUS-CHEF When a cook stops on something small, the Sous-Chef deals with it. When the decision is yours, it calls you. You are interrupted less, and nothing that matters is kept from you. YOURS Your kitchens, your sign-ins, your data. Nothing sits in a box you cannot open. Fire a cook, close a kitchen or delete your account whenever you want. HOW IT STARTS 1. Join at openkitchen.inc. 2. Add a kitchen and hire a cook: name it and give it the order. 3. Watch the prep from this app, and step in where it matters. PLANS A kitchen starts small and scales itself when the work needs more. Mini counter from $1 a month, flex counter from $10, small kitchen from $20, medium from $40, full from $80. Let it cook.

Screenshots

Codea4 screens
OpenKitchen4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenKitchen at none against Codea's 3. OpenKitchen also leads on update cadence (every 6 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. OpenKitchen asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, OpenKitchen every 6 days. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Codea versus OpenKitchen: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCodeaOpenKitchen
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (127 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews88.2% of reviews—
Number of ratings127 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 6 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.517.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size235 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTwo Lives Left高橋

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

OpenKitchen

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
None

OpenKitchen

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Codea free?
Codea is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is OpenKitchen free?
OpenKitchen is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Codea or OpenKitchen have ads?
Neither Codea nor OpenKitchen shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Codea or OpenKitchen?
Codea ships an update every 2 weeks, and OpenKitchen every 6 days. Most recently, Codea was updated on November 13, 2026 and OpenKitchen on November 13, 2026.

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