# Hal Universal vs iCodex

The clearest difference is update cadence: iCodex at every 9 days against Hal Universal's every 6 weeks. iCodex also leads on iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hal Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, iCodex every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Hal Universal | iCodex |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Every 9 days** |
| Size | 30 MB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mark Friedlander](https://appshunter.io/developer/1812095304) | [Aman Pandey](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879317821) |

## What reviewers say

### Hal Universal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hal-universal/id6754847753)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### iCodex

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/icodex/id6760627147)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Hal Universal free?

Hal Universal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is iCodex free?

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

### Do Hal Universal or iCodex have ads?

Neither Hal Universal nor iCodex shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Hal Universal or iCodex?

Hal Universal ships an update every 6 weeks, and iCodex every 9 days. Most recently, Hal Universal was updated on October 24, 2026 and iCodex on October 25, 2026.

---

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