Comparison

Lua IDE vs CraftOS

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

Head to head
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.

About

CraftOS

This app emulates a classic text-based computer environment, allowing you to write and run Lua programs. It's perfect for learning to code or exploring existing programs from a popular Minecraft mod, all within a retro terminal interface.

Highlights
  • Lua 5.2+ scripting environment
  • 16-color text-based terminal
  • Virtual filesystem
  • Built-in shell
  • Extensive APIs
  • Compatibility with ComputerCraft programs
  • Exclusive graphics mode
Features
Read full description

CraftOS-PC is a fantasy terminal that allows you to write and run programs inside an ‘80s-style text console. CraftOS-PC emulates the popular Minecraft mod "ComputerCraft", which adds programmable computers to Minecraft using the Lua programming language. CraftOS-PC takes this experience outside Minecraft to allow you to run the same programs anywhere you go. CraftOS-PC provides a set of functions (called APIs) that make it super easy to do simple tasks such as write text to the screen, read files, and more. The simplicity of these functions makes CraftOS-PC great for new programmers, but their power makes it possible to write all sorts of complex programs with less code. If you aren’t ready to write programs yet, there’s already a large number of programs for ComputerCraft that will work in CraftOS-PC, ranging from simple games to whole graphical operating systems. These can be downloaded through the built-in Pastebin and GitHub Gist clients. • Full Lua 5.2+ scripting environment and command-line REPL • 16-color text-based terminal display • Expansive virtual filesystem for program and data storage • Built-in shell with syntax similar to most desktop shells • APIs to easily access terminal, filesystem, Internet, event queue, and more • Built-in programs make it easy to navigate & edit files without a single line of code • Plenty of help documents to assist programmers • Compatibility with thousands of existing ComputerCraft programs • Over 3x faster than Minecraft mod and comparable emulators • Emulation of all peripherals available in ComputerCraft • Easily access configuration from inside CraftOS • Exclusive graphics mode providing up to 256-color, pixel-based screen manipulation • Edit Lua scripts from CraftOS or other code editing apps • Open-source app makes it easy to suggest and contribute changes Documentation on all of the APIs that ComputerCraft provides are available at https://tweaked.cc, and CraftOS-PC’s unique APIs are described at https://www.craftos-pc.cc/docs/. Join the CraftOS-PC community at https://www.craftos-pc.cc/discord!

Screenshots

Lua IDE4 screens
CraftOS4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: CraftOS at 4.8 against Lua IDE's 3.5. CraftOS also leads on review sentiment (88% vs 50%) and monetization model (free vs freemium). Lua IDE's advantage is update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 4 months). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases 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. Lua IDE sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and CraftOS sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

CraftOS holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 17 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of Lua IDE's written reviews are positive against 88% of CraftOS's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Lua IDE ships an update every 6 weeks, CraftOS every 4 months. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Lua IDE versus CraftOS: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterLua IDECraftOS
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.5 (11 ratings)4.8 (17 ratings) — better
Positive reviews50.0% of reviews88.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings1117 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeks — betterEvery 4 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer盼军 崔Jack Bruienne

Customer experience

Lua IDE

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

CraftOS

All ratings17 ratings
Positive94.1%
Neutral0.0%
Negative5.9%
Written reviews17 reviews
Positive88.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.8%

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
1 purchases

CraftOS

One-time1
  • Plugin Collection 1$0.99

Questions

Is Lua IDE free?
Lua IDE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CraftOS free?
CraftOS is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Lua IDE or CraftOS?
CraftOS is rated higher. Lua IDE averages 3.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while CraftOS averages 4.8 from 17 ratings.
Do Lua IDE or CraftOS have ads?
Neither Lua IDE nor CraftOS shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Lua IDE or CraftOS?
Lua IDE ships an update every 6 weeks, and CraftOS every 4 months. Most recently, Lua IDE was updated on October 3, 2026 and CraftOS on October 6, 2026.

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