Comparison

Jupiter ACE vs pocketFORTH

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Jupiter ACE

Explore the history of computing by learning the Forth programming language on a simulated 1982 home computer. This educational tool provides an authentic experience for aspiring programmers interested in retro technology.

Highlights
  • Forth programming language simulation
  • 1982 home computer emulation
  • Educational retro computing experience
  • Freely available source code
  • iPad compatible
Features
Read full description

Go back in time and learn to program Forth with this Jupiter ACE on your iPad. The Jupiter ACE was a home computer released back in 1982. While all other home computers at the time used BASIC as the built in programming language, the Jupiter ACE used Forth. This emulator is built with freely available documents and source code. Project files are available on github. Jupiter ACE is trademark of Andrews UK Ltd.

About

pocketFORTH

Features
Read full description

Discover one of the programming languages that helped shape modern computing. PocketFORTH is a modern FORTH environment inspired by the golden age of pocket computers and home computing, bringing the power of interactive programming directly to your iPhone and iPad. Whether you're a retro-computing enthusiast, a student, an electronics maker or simply curious to explore one of the most influential programming languages ever created, Pocket FORTH lets you write, run, edit and save FORTH programs through a clean, fast and completely offline interface. Designed for both learning and experimentation, Pocket FORTH combines the simplicity of the original language with modern features including live editing, dictionary browsing, source inspection, QR code sharing, persistent storage and a growing collection of built-in words compatible with classic FORTH systems.

Screenshots

Jupiter ACE3 screens
pocketFORTH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: pocketFORTH at every 3 weeks against Jupiter ACE's every 63 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jupiter ACE ships an update every 63 months, pocketFORTH every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Jupiter ACE versus pocketFORTH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJupiter ACEpocketFORTH
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (8 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews66.7% of reviews—
Number of ratings8 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 63 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.6
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMemention Holding ABLeonardo Del Nonno

In-app purchases

None

Jupiter ACE

No in-app purchases

None

pocketFORTH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Jupiter ACE free?
Jupiter ACE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is pocketFORTH free?
pocketFORTH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Jupiter ACE or pocketFORTH have ads?
Neither Jupiter ACE nor pocketFORTH shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jupiter ACE or pocketFORTH?
Jupiter ACE ships an update every 63 months, and pocketFORTH every 3 weeks. Most recently, Jupiter ACE was updated on October 2, 2026 and pocketFORTH on September 20, 2026.

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