# Virtual EP vs Patch & I/O

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Virtual EP at none against Patch & I/O's 1. Virtual EP also leads on iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.0). Patch & I/O's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs every 7 months). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Patch & I/O sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Virtual EP asks for nothing beyond the download.

Virtual EP ships an update every 7 months, Patch & I/O weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Virtual EP | Patch & I/O |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 7 months | **Weekly** |
| Size | 103 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.1** | 18.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Marcos Gennari Patroni](https://appshunter.io/developer/1777925905) | [HYO SEOP LEE](https://appshunter.io/developer/6790621758) |

## What reviewers say

### Virtual EP

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/virtual-ep/id6745430106)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Patch & I/O

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/patch-and-io-stage-io-list/id6809173652)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Lifetime Unlock | $11.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Virtual EP free?

Virtual EP is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Patch & I/O free?

Patch & I/O is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do Virtual EP or Patch & I/O have ads?

Neither Virtual EP nor Patch & I/O shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Virtual EP or Patch & I/O?

Virtual EP ships an update every 7 months, and Patch & I/O weekly. Most recently, Virtual EP was updated on October 14, 2026 and Patch & I/O on October 15, 2026.

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