# luai5.2.1 vs Lua IDE

The clearest difference is rating: luai5.2.1 at 4.4 against Lua IDE's 3.4. luai5.2.1 also leads on review sentiment (91% vs 59%) and update cadence (every 3 months vs every 7 months). Lua IDE's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and ratings volume (22 vs 7). On price, ads and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. luai5.2.1 sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. Lua IDE asks for nothing beyond the download.

luai5.2.1 holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 7 and 22 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of luai5.2.1's written reviews are positive against 59% of Lua IDE's.

luai5.2.1 ships an update every 3 months, Lua IDE every 7 months. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | luai5.2.1 | Lua IDE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luai521-autocompleteruncode/id593464654/reviews)** | [3.4 (22 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lua-ide/id1549382090/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 7 | **22** |
| Positive reviews | **91.3% of reviews** | 59.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 24 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [小文 黄](https://appshunter.io/developer/490328393) | [Wenhuan Li](https://appshunter.io/developer/1243152342) |

## What reviewers say

### luai5.2.1

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/luai521-autocompleteruncode/id593464654)

Learn, run, and share Lua scripts with code completion, syntax highlighting, and a built-in browser. Customize your learning environment and share code easily via various platforms.

**Highlights:** Autocompletion and auto-indent, Code coloring and syntax highlighting, Built-in browser for learning materials, File system support for various formats, Customizable interface and appearance, Code sharing via email and social media, Generate QR codes for scripts and materials

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| To remove ads | $0.99 | one-time |
| Password Service | $0.99 | one-time |
| Horizontal screen development | $0.99 | one-time |
| Simple Vedio | $0.99 | one-time |
| Encryption Compression | $0.99 | one-time |
| Text Search | $0.99 | one-time |
| Autocomplete | $0.99 | one-time |


### Lua IDE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lua-ide/id1549382090)

A mobile integrated development environment for writing and running Lua code. It offers syntax highlighting, module support, and an offline reference manual. Cloud storage integration is also available.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting, Module support, Offline reference manual, Works offline, Cloud storage support

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is luai5.2.1 free?

luai5.2.1 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Lua IDE free?

Lua IDE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, luai5.2.1 or Lua IDE?

luai5.2.1 is rated higher. luai5.2.1 averages 4.4 out of 5 from 7 ratings, while Lua IDE averages 3.4 from 22 ratings.

### Do luai5.2.1 or Lua IDE have ads?

Neither luai5.2.1 nor Lua IDE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, luai5.2.1 or Lua IDE?

luai5.2.1 ships an update every 3 months, and Lua IDE every 7 months. Most recently, luai5.2.1 was updated on September 27, 2026 and Lua IDE on September 24, 2026.

---

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