# iCodeEditor vs DraftCode for PHP IDE

The clearest difference is review sentiment: DraftCode for PHP IDE at 66% against iCodeEditor's 14%. DraftCode for PHP IDE also leads on price ($4.99 vs $19.99) and ratings volume (88 vs 1). iCodeEditor's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.5) and in-app purchases (none vs 6). On ads and device support there is nothing between them.

iCodeEditor costs $19.99 and DraftCode for PHP IDE $4.99 up front. DraftCode for PHP IDE sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. iCodeEditor asks for nothing beyond the download.

iCodeEditor holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: DraftCode for PHP IDE has 88 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 14% of iCodeEditor's written reviews are positive against 66% of DraftCode for PHP IDE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

iCodeEditor ships an update every 3 days, DraftCode for PHP IDE every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iCodeEditor | DraftCode for PHP IDE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $19.99 | **$4.99** |
| Rating | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icodeeditor/id579257935/reviews)** | [4.5 (88 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draftcode-for-php-ide/id593757593/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **88** |
| Positive reviews | 14.3% of reviews | **65.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 days** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#72** |
| Size | 8 MB | 184 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.6** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [斌 虞](https://appshunter.io/developer/561889393) | [Solesignal Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/402984346) |

## What reviewers say

### iCodeEditor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icodeeditor/id579257935)

This app is a compact and powerful code editor and file manager. It allows for parallel file editing with diff operations, direct execution of Ruby and Lua code, and efficient file organization. It also offers advanced searching and navigation features for source code and documents.

**Highlights:** Parallel file editing with diff, Direct Ruby and Lua code execution, Fast indexing and searching of code, Advanced file management, Markdown live preview, Unicode and UTF-8 inspection

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### DraftCode for PHP IDE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/draftcode-for-php-ide/id593757593)

**Currently charting:** #72 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Develop and run PHP, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS locally on your mobile device or Mac without an internet connection. Supports complex applications like WordPress and phpMyAdmin, with flexible workspace options and a comprehensive PHP stack.

**Highlights:** Offline PHP, JS, HTML, CSS execution, Run complex apps like WordPress, Custom workspace folder support, Session Inspector and error display, PHP and JS syntax coloring, Composer support for dependency management

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (6)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PHP 7.2 Runtime | Free | one-time |
| PHP 7.3 Runtime | Free | one-time |
| PHP 8.2 Runtime | Free | one-time |
| PHP 8.1 Runtime | Free | one-time |
| PHP 8.0.28 Runtime | Free | one-time |
| PHP 8.5 Runtime | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Full PHP runtime on iOS device
- 👍 Intuitive and simple user interface
- 💻 Ability to run WordPress locally on iPad
- 🔌 Works offline without internet connection
- 📱 Enables mobile web development workflow

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Scrolling snaps back to starting position
- 🐛 Undo function jumps arbitrary steps
- 🐛 Text editor lacks modern features
- ❌ Cannot access served content from Safari
- ❌ No FTP or cloud storage integration

**Reported bugs**

- Scrolling snaps back to original position
- Undo function deletes arbitrary number of steps
- App freezes after entering characters
- Crashes on iOS 9 and older versions
- JavaScript console viewer always empty

**Requested features**

- Search and find/replace functionality
- FTP and Dropbox integration
- Updated PHP versions
- Multiple syntax highlighting themes
- Git/GitHub integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iCodeEditor free?

iCodeEditor costs $19.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is DraftCode for PHP IDE free?

DraftCode for PHP IDE costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iCodeEditor or DraftCode for PHP IDE?

iCodeEditor is rated higher. iCodeEditor averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while DraftCode for PHP IDE averages 4.5 from 88 ratings.

### Do iCodeEditor or DraftCode for PHP IDE have ads?

Neither iCodeEditor nor DraftCode for PHP IDE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iCodeEditor or DraftCode for PHP IDE?

iCodeEditor ships an update every 3 days, and DraftCode for PHP IDE every 3 months. Most recently, iCodeEditor was updated on September 23, 2026 and DraftCode for PHP IDE on September 20, 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.*