# Touch Lua vs PockEmul

The clearest difference is rating: PockEmul at 4.3 against Touch Lua's 3.7. Touch Lua's advantage is monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.6). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Touch Lua sells 5 one-off in-app purchases and PockEmul sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.49 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

PockEmul holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 15 and 11 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 83% of Touch Lua's written reviews are positive against 77% of PockEmul's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Touch Lua ships an update every 2 months, PockEmul monthly. The most recent releases landed on June 9, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Touch Lua | PockEmul |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.7 (15 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-lua/id525273327/reviews) | **[4.3 (11 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pockemul/id1550150838/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **15** | 11 |
| Positive reviews | **82.9% of reviews** | 76.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Size | 14 MB | 104 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Ahmad Hawwash](https://appshunter.io/developer/382404352) | [Myrio Conseils](https://appshunter.io/developer/1550150840) |

## What reviewers say

### Touch Lua

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/touch-lua/id525273327)

Learn and program using Lua, a powerful yet simple scripting language, directly on your iPhone. Features include a robust editor, multi-program support, and libraries for graphics, audio, and networking. Ideal for learning, prototyping, and advanced calculations.

**Highlights:** Lua programming environment, Powerful editor with syntax highlighting, Graphics, audio, database, and network support, Multi-program and directory management, Built-in tutorials and reference, In-app purchase for advanced libraries

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Turtle Library | $0.99 | one-time |
| Socket Library | $0.99 | one-time |
| Audio Library | $1.99 | one-time |
| Draw Library | $4.99 | one-time |
| Nitro Library | $5.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface and easy to learn
- 🚀 Fast compilation and execution
- 📚 Excellent built-in tutorials and documentation
- 💡 Ability to create games and programs on mobile
- 🎓 Great for beginners learning Lua programming

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💸 Expensive in-app purchases for libraries
- 🐛 Frequent crashes on startup or during editing
- 📝 Limited code storage capacity (crashes with large files)
- ⚠️ Auto-indentation cannot be disabled
- 🔍 File viewer doesn't display hidden files (starting with period)

**Reported bugs**

- App crashes on startup after device transfer
- White screen when running programs with functions
- Crashes when saving files on iOS 8
- Crashes when entering 100+ lines of code
- Crashes with large inputs or pasted code

**Requested features**

- Ability to disable auto-indentation
- Increase code storage limit per script
- Function collapsing/minimizing for large programs
- Undo button functionality
- Copyable console output


### PockEmul

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/pockemul/id1550150838)

This app emulates vintage pocket computers and scientific calculators from the late 70s and 80s. It offers a wide range of fully emulated models, adapting to different screen sizes for use on iPhones and iPads. Access all functionalities and models with a single subscription fee.

**Highlights:** Emulates vintage pocket computers, Emulates scientific calculators, Supports iPhone and iPad, Wide range of emulated models, Adaptive screen size behavior, Subscription for full access

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly Subscription | $1.49 | per month |
| Monthly Subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| Monthly Subs. First year offer | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Subscription | $23.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Touch Lua free?

Touch Lua is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is PockEmul free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Touch Lua or PockEmul?

PockEmul is rated higher. Touch Lua averages 3.7 out of 5 from 15 ratings, while PockEmul averages 4.3 from 11 ratings.

### Do Touch Lua or PockEmul have ads?

Neither Touch Lua nor PockEmul shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Touch Lua or PockEmul?

Touch Lua ships an update every 2 months, and PockEmul monthly. Most recently, Touch Lua was updated on June 9, 2026 and PockEmul on September 11, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*