# Basic Programming Language vs UTM SE

The clearest difference is review sentiment: UTM SE at 55% against Basic Programming Language's 7%. UTM SE also leads on rating (3.8 vs 2.3) and ratings volume (560 vs 12). Basic Programming Language's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Basic Programming Language sells 2 one-off in-app purchases and UTM SE sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UTM SE holds the better App Store score, 3.8 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: UTM SE has 560 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 7% of Basic Programming Language's written reviews are positive against 55% of UTM SE's.

Basic Programming Language ships an update every 12 months, UTM SE every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Basic Programming Language | UTM SE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [2.3 (12 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-programming-language/id500466663/reviews) | **[3.8 (560 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 12 | **560** |
| Positive reviews | 6.8% of reviews | **54.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 12 months | **Every 4 months** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Size | 1 MB | 1.6 GB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Anastasia Kovba](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501308821) | [Turing Software, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1534511649) |

## What reviewers say

### Basic Programming Language

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-programming-language/id500466663)

Learn and run classic Basic programming code on your mobile device. This app offers a code editor with syntax highlighting and provides online references and samples for learning. It's ideal for studying, calculations, and entertainment.

**Highlights:** Compile and run Basic programs, Text input and output, Syntax highlighting editor, Line numbers and color themes, Online language reference, Program samples

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 100 Compilations for Basic Programming Language | $0.99 | one-time |
| Unlimited Compilations for Basic Programming Language | $2.99 | one-time |


### UTM SE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/utm-se-retro-pc-emulator/id1564628856)

Experience classic computing by running old-school games and software. This emulator supports various display modes and processor architectures, allowing you to run pre-built systems or configure your own.

**Highlights:** Run classic software and games, VGA and terminal modes, Emulates x86, ARM, PPC, RISC-V, Pre-built or custom machine configurations, Built from QEMU

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Transistor | $0.99 | one-time |
| Chip | $4.99 | one-time |
| Computer | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app that can run Windows and macOS
- 👍 Useful for nostalgic reasons
- 👍 Can run Linux VMs

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Slow performance, especially on older devices
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Display and boot issues
- 🐛 Incompatible with some ISOs and VMs

**Reported bugs**

- Inability to select .img files as floppy boot images
- Crashes when trying to leave a VM
- Crashes when adjusting virtual CD-ROM drive settings

**Requested features**

- Add support for JIT compilation to improve performance
- Improve Magic Keyboard support
- Allow exporting VMs to run on other platforms


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Basic Programming Language free?

Basic Programming Language is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is UTM SE free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Basic Programming Language or UTM SE?

UTM SE is rated higher. Basic Programming Language averages 2.3 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while UTM SE averages 3.8 from 560 ratings.

### Do Basic Programming Language or UTM SE have ads?

Neither Basic Programming Language nor UTM SE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Basic Programming Language or UTM SE?

Basic Programming Language ships an update every 12 months, and UTM SE every 4 months. Most recently, Basic Programming Language was updated on October 4, 2026 and UTM SE on October 12, 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.*