Comparison

DraftCode for PHP IDE vs Spck Editor Lite

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

Head to head
About

DraftCode for PHP IDE

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
Read full description

Develop and run PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS locally on your iPad or iPhone (or an Apple Silicon Mac), without requiring an internet connection. Run Apps as complex as WordPress or phpMyAdmin right on your device. Freely choose your workspace location on your device, either inside DraftCode, or in the folder of a Git Client like WorkingCopy, on iCloud or other services that offer selectable folder locations. Access your PHP Web App from other Apps on your iPad while in Split Screen mode, for example Mobile Safari or Brave. DraftCode includes the standard PHP stack including PHP extensions typically available on a server: MySQL, SQLite, PDO, Curl, OpenSSL, FTP, XML, JSON, SOAP, GD and more. DraftCode can run different versions of PHP and you can switch between them: - Includes PHP 7.3, PHP 8.0, PHP 8.1 and PHP 8.2 - Available (via in-App Purchase): PHP 8.5 DraftCode Features: - Execute PHP/JS/HTML/CSS without requiring an internet connection - Run Apps as complex as WordPress on your device for offline development - Support for selecting a custom workspace folder in supported other Apps (like Git clients) or iCloud - Includes a Session Inspector showing state of current session variables - Shows PHP errors - PHP and JavaScript syntax colouring - Internal keyboard support with coding accessory - External keyboard support with additional keyboard shortcuts - Multitasking and split-screen support on iPad - Includes PHP packages: WordPress, phpMyAdmin, Composer and more - File workspace including support to zip, unzip, copy, move or duplicate files or folders - Code import/export from iCloud Drive, other Apps or iTunes file sharing - Kiosk mode that runs you PHP code fullscreen - Script mode to run PHP scripts without a web context or timeout INCLUDED PHP PACKAGES WORDPRESS 6.8 With just one tap you can run WordPress offline (using the included WordPress SQLite plugin) and develop themes and plugins for the popular platform. PHPMYADMIN Connect to EXTERNAL MySQL databases (MySQL is NOT included). PHPLITEADMIN Work with local SQLite databases. COMPOSER Use Composer v.2.1.12 to efficiently manage your dependencies. The package also includes an example project. For more information and answers to frequently asked questions please visit DraftCode's website. (Please follow the "Developer Website" link below.) Please note: - Included packages might not yet support all PHP versions available (check their website) - DraftCode's runtime currently does not support re-write rules - A MySQL database is NOT included. (We recommend using SQLite when working completely offline.) - A phpinfo() output of the current available runtime configurations is available on the DraftCode website, please follow the "Developer Website" link below. - In-App purchase pricing can be reviewed on this App Store page under "Information" by tapping the triangle next to 'In-App Purchases"

About

Spck Editor Lite

Features
Read full description

A lightweight, no-account-required code editor that puts a full development workflow on your iOS device. Edit real projects, connect to remote servers, and ship code — no sign-in, no subscription, no fuss. Exclusive Lite Features - Neon theme — a vibrant, high-contrast editor theme available only in Lite - Unlimited Custom Snippets — define your own code snippets with no caps - Unlimited Predictive Keyboard — AI-assisted next-token suggestions, always on - Remote CLI Editing — connect and edit remote projects with no account system, ever Your Dev Machine, In Your Pocket Connect to your desktop or a remote server via the Remote CLI over a secure relay — no account system required. Browse and edit your actual project files, run your dev server, and preview it live inside the app with the built-in Browser Proxy. Full-stack development from your couch, your commute, or anywhere in between. Professional Git Workflow Clone from GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or any remote. Commit, push, pull, branch, merge, and review logs — a complete Git interface without leaving the app. Your entire version history, always with you. Intelligent Code Editing - Advanced code completion for JavaScript, TypeScript & CSS - Context-sensitive hints and inline documentation - Syntax validation as you type - Keyword completion for 20+ languages - HTML, CSS & JS code snippets Built for Mobile Coding - Dynamic keyboard optimized for JS, HTML & CSS - Extra navigation row for cursor control and brackets - Integrated JS console for instant feedback - Project-wide search with file filters - Local file access Free. Private. No account required. Everything you need to code on the go — nothing you don't. Spck Editor Lite respects your privacy with zero sign-in required and no tracking. Light & Dark themes | 20+ languages | No account needed Terms of Use: https://spck.io/terms

Screenshots

DraftCode for PHP IDE4 screens
Spck Editor Lite4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Spck Editor Lite at none against DraftCode for PHP IDE's 6. Spck Editor Lite also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). DraftCode for PHP IDE's advantage is price ($4.99 vs $8.99) and chart position (#71 vs unranked). On ads 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

DraftCode for PHP IDE costs $4.99 and Spck Editor Lite $8.99 up front. DraftCode for PHP IDE sells 6 one-off in-app purchases. Spck Editor Lite asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DraftCode for PHP IDE ships an update every 3 months, Spck Editor Lite every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
DraftCode for PHP IDE versus Spck Editor Lite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDraftCode for PHP IDESpck Editor Lite
Price$4.99 — better$8.99
Rating4.5 (88 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews65.8% of reviews—
Number of ratings88 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#71 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.613.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size184 MB24 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperSolesignal LimitedZeb Zhao

Bugs and requests

DraftCode for PHP IDE

Reported bugs

15 issues
  • 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
Show 10 more
  • Cannot navigate to specific lines efficiently
  • Scroll position jumps when switching files
  • File deletion is buggy when deleting multiple files
  • Dropbox conflicted copy files created by autosave
  • iCloud file sync not automatic
  • Keyboard layout makes coding difficult
  • App loses work after tapping run
  • Address bar shows 'about:blank' and 'Not Found'
  • Cannot paste projects from Dropbox (helper app error)
  • Syntax highlighting slow on large files

Requested features

20 requests
  • Search and find/replace functionality
  • FTP and Dropbox integration
  • Updated PHP versions
  • Multiple syntax highlighting themes
  • Git/GitHub integration
Show 15 more
  • Ability to access localhost from external browsers
  • Font size adjustment controls
  • Code completion and snippets
  • Multi-project support
  • Drupal and CraftCMS support
  • MySQL full support
  • SSH/SFTP access
  • Swipe gestures throughout UI
  • Light theme option
  • Extended keyboard with more shortcuts
  • Undo/redo improvements
  • Split-screen multitasking support
  • phpMyAdmin updates
  • Manual save option instead of autosave
  • GD library support

Spck Editor Lite

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

6 purchases

DraftCode for PHP IDE

One-time6
  • PHP 7.2 RuntimeFree
  • PHP 7.3 RuntimeFree
  • PHP 8.2 RuntimeFree
Show 3 more
  • PHP 8.1 RuntimeFree
  • PHP 8.0.28 RuntimeFree
  • PHP 8.5 Runtime$4.99
None

Spck Editor Lite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is DraftCode for PHP IDE free?
DraftCode for PHP IDE costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Is Spck Editor Lite free?
Spck Editor Lite costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do DraftCode for PHP IDE or Spck Editor Lite have ads?
Neither DraftCode for PHP IDE nor Spck Editor Lite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DraftCode for PHP IDE or Spck Editor Lite?
DraftCode for PHP IDE ships an update every 3 months, and Spck Editor Lite every 2 weeks. Most recently, DraftCode for PHP IDE was updated on September 25, 2026 and Spck Editor Lite on September 19, 2026.

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