Comparison

DevBox vs Anvil

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

Head to head
About

DevBox

Features
Read full description

Run a React or Svelte dev server on your iPhone. Write Node, Python and PHP, and run it on the device. npm install and npm run dev work. React, Angular, Svelte and Vue build and run. Editor with syntax highlighting for JavaScript, TypeScript, Python and PHP, find and replace, and a key row for brackets and quotes. Terminal with command history and scrollback. Node, Python and PHP dev servers on a local port, with stdout and request logs. WebKit preview pointed at localhost. MariaDB on device, MySQL-compatible, phpMyAdmin included. npm, pip and composer. Git over HTTPS or SSH. GitHub, GitLab, self-hosted. Files app, iCloud Drive, FTP and SSH providers. Optional AI assistant. Works offline. Package installs, git remotes and the AI assistant need a connection. Runs on iPhone, iPad and Apple silicon Macs. Free to download. --- Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://devbox.porizm.com/privacy?lang=en

About

Anvil

Features
Read full description

Anvil is a pocket-sized toolbox of 17 everyday developer utilities. Every tool processes its input on your device. No account, no ads, no tracking, and no app backend. FORMAT & DECODE • JSON Formatter — beautify, minify, validate • Base64 — encode / decode text • URL — percent-encode / decode • JWT Decoder — inspect header & payload (local only) GENERATE • UUID — batch v4 identifiers • Hash — MD5 / SHA-1 / SHA-256 / SHA-512 • Random String — passwords & tokens • QR Code — share or save CONVERT • Number Base — bin / oct / dec / hex • Unix Time — epoch ↔ human date • Cron — explain expressions • Unicode — text ↔ \u escapes TEXT • Regex Tester — live matches & groups • Text Diff — compare two snippets • Case Converter — camel / snake / kebab … • Text Analyzer — characters, words, lines • List Comparer — intersection, union & diff SMART PASTE Copy something, open Anvil, and it points you to the right tool with your content already filled in. PRIVACY FIRST Tool inputs are processed on-device and are never uploaded. Anvil has no account, ads, analytics, or app backend. Optional Pro purchase and restore use Apple StoreKit. ANVIL PRO — one-time unlock, no subscription • Share Extension — run tools on text shared from any app • Shortcuts & Siri • Clipboard History • Optional Smart Paste auto-open (off by default) One-time purchase, no subscription.

Screenshots

DevBox4 screens
Anvil4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: DevBox at none against Anvil's 1. DevBox also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. Anvil sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. DevBox asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

DevBox ships an update every 5 days, Anvil every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
DevBox versus Anvil: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDevBoxAnvil
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size413 MB6 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperFiras Moussaę­¦ę±‰å›žåˆ°ęœŖę„ē§‘ęŠ€ęœ‰é™å…¬åø

In-app purchases

None

DevBox

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Anvil

One-time1
  • Anvil Pro$4.99

Questions

Is DevBox free?
DevBox is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Anvil free?
Anvil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do DevBox or Anvil have ads?
Neither DevBox nor Anvil shows ads.
Which is updated more often, DevBox or Anvil?
DevBox ships an update every 5 days, and Anvil every 6 days. Most recently, DevBox was updated on October 3, 2026 and Anvil on September 30, 2026.

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