Comparison

luai5.2.1$ vs Lua IDE

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

Head to head
About

luai5.2.1$

Learn, run, and share Lua 5.2.1 scripts on iOS. Features include autocompletion, code coloring, and a built-in browser for learning materials. Customize the interface and generate QR codes for easy sharing.

Highlights
  • Autocompletion and auto-indent
  • Code coloring and font size adjustment
  • Built-in browser for learning materials
  • File system support for various formats
  • Customizable interface and execution voice
  • QR code generation for sharing
  • Share code via email and social media
Features
Read full description

This is an ios lua5.2.1 app,you can learn,run,share lua5.2.1 script. Features : Autocomplate. Auto Indent. Code color. In(the built-in browser or the txt editor),Select the text to run. Horizontal screen development. Code templates,the contents of the new file is copy from contents of the template file. *You can enter lua code by keyboard, then you can execut the lua code,support the io.read() function. *You can use the file system to supports txt, pdf, chm, mp3,m4v,zip, gif, png, html, lua ,doc... *You can adjust the code color and font size , and support to move the cursor left and right and up and down , easy to read and write. *You can find learning materials by the built-in browser . *You can save lua code and learning materials, and can be modified to the save file and delete the save file . *You can control the background image and color, and execution voice , background animation, text color and shadow, switch interface animation , the number and the order of the main interface of the tab bar to create your learning software. *You can Learn lua knowledge , the system provides some basic learning materials . *You can use lua code or learning materials to generate two-dimensional code , for easy sharing . *You can share code by Email,Weibo,Twitter,Facebook. *You can use the counter,light in the Setting tab.

About

Lua IDE

This app provides a comprehensive environment for learning and coding in Lua. It features a code editor, file manager, and an integrated interpreter for testing and running scripts.

Highlights
  • Standalone Lua interpreter
  • Feature-rich code editor
  • Intuitive file manager
  • Interactive learning environment
  • Multi-file project support
  • Terminal integration
  • ANSI escape code support
Features
Read full description

Welcome to Lua IDE: Unleash Your Lua Coding Potential! Dive into the world of Lua coding with Lua IDE, your all-in-one Lua Integrated Development Environment (IDE) on iOS. With a standalone interpreter, feature-rich code editor, and an intuitive file manager, Lua IDE is the ultimate toolkit for Lua enthusiasts and learners alike. Why Choose Lua IDE? Learn and Experiment: Lua IDE is the perfect playground for Lua enthusiasts. Whether you're testing code snippets from books or unleashing your creativity, our interactive learning environment lets you experiment and refine your Lua skills effortlessly. Project Mastery: Elevate your coding game by organizing complex projects effortlessly. Lua IDE's built-in File Manager allows you to create, manage, and run multi-file Lua projects with ease. The terminal integration lets you execute your creations seamlessly. What's on the Horizon? Package Management Magic: Stay tuned for Lua IDE's Package Manager, a game-changer for library integration. It's like having LuaRocks at your fingertips, making library management a breeze. Debugging Join the Lua IDE Community: Your Voice Matters: Have a suggestion or a brilliant idea? Reach out to us at amadman380743909@gmail.com or visit https://www.iamadman.com, or twitter: andy38074, Reddit: iamadmancom. Your input is what propels Lua IDE forward. Learn on Your Terms: Lua IDE is not just an app; it's a journey. Learn programming wherever, whenever, and whatever you desire. Unleash your coding potential with Lua IDE today! This is Lua IDE with a standalone interpreter, a Code Editor and File Manager and many useful resources for learning Lua. Lua REPL: Lua official standalone interpreter integrated. You can input Lua code interactively with it. And you can also use it to run a Lua file in Terminal. Terminal: ##Cursor Operations: - supports various cursor operations, including cursor positioning, hiding, showing, and blinking. ##Colors: - ANSI escape codes for text styling and colors are fully supported. You can set foreground and background colors, as well as apply other text styles. ##Escape Sequences: ##256-Color Mode: ##True Color (24-Bit Color): ##Text Selection and Copy-Paste: - Users can select text within the terminal, and xterm.js provides built-in functionality for copying and pasting text to and from the clipboard. ##Input Handling: - handles keyboard input, allowing users to type commands and interact with the terminal interface using the keyboard. ##UTF-8 and Multilingual Support: #Shell Commands ##Support many useful shell commands "ifconfig","ping","export","readlink","chmod","scp","telnet","host","du","link","dig","cksum","bc","date","egrep","gzip","nslookup","fgrep","mv","open","md5","say","ssh-keygen","xargs","diff","cd","tee","lua","sh","touch","dc","tar","chflags","rm","sort","uniq","awk","printenv","find","mkdir","tail","unalias","pwd","ed","gunzip","compress","nc","uptime","sed","openurl","setenv","stat","alias","sum","head","uname","wc","cat","echo","unsetenv","unlink","pbpaste","rmdir","uncompress","curl","ln","cp","whoami","rlogin","sftp","tr","env","ssh","whois","pbcopy","wol","grep","ls" ##Custom commands "code", "help", "clear", "files" Code Editor: ## Syntax Highlight Syntax highlighting for Lua and many other languages like: C, C++, Swift, JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, HTML, Markdown, JSON, Python, YAML, Bash (you can view Makefile as bash file). ## Line Number Show/Hide line number gutter. ## Wrap Line ## Invisible Characters ## Themes Currently support four themes that cover both Light and Dark Mode Docs ##Bundled Source Code and Documentations ###Lua source code Lua 5.3.4, 5.3.6, 5.4.6 source code, docs, and tests (written in Lua, they are very good resources for learning Lua) ##Online Documentations ###Lua.org ###Lua-users.org ###LuaRocks.org ###Awesome-lua File Manager You can create/delete/view/copy/paste files and folders. Source code files are syntax highlighted.

Screenshots

luai5.2.1$4 screens
Lua IDE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Lua IDE at Free against luai5.2.1$'s $2.99. Lua IDE also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months). luai5.2.1$'s advantage is review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement 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

Lua IDE is free to download; luai5.2.1$ costs $2.99 up front. Lua IDE sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. luai5.2.1$ asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

luai5.2.1$ ships an update every 3 months, Lua IDE every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
luai5.2.1$ versus Lua IDE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parameterluai5.2.1$Lua IDE
Price$2.99Free — better
Rating—3.5 (11 ratings) — better
Positive reviews87.5% of reviews — better50.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—11 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 6 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#192 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.014.0
Further details — not scored
Size24 MB95 MB
Age rating17+4+
Developer小文 黄盼军 崔

Customer experience

luai5.2.1$

Written reviews8 reviews
Positive87.5%
Neutral0.0%
Negative12.5%

Lua IDE

All ratings11 ratings
Positive54.5%
Neutral9.1%
Negative36.4%
Written reviews8 reviews
Positive50.0%
Neutral12.5%
Negative37.5%

In-app purchases

None

luai5.2.1$

No in-app purchases

4 purchases

Lua IDE

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time2
  • Buy me a coffee$2.99
  • Lifetime Pro$14.99

Questions

Is luai5.2.1$ free?
luai5.2.1$ costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Lua IDE free?
Lua IDE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do luai5.2.1$ 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 6 weeks. Most recently, luai5.2.1$ was updated on October 12, 2026 and Lua IDE on October 3, 2026.

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