Comparison

PharoSmalltalk vs Pascal Playground

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

Head to head
About

PharoSmalltalk

Features
Read full description

Pharo on iOS brings the complete Pharo 13 Smalltalk programming environment to your Apple devices. Browse classes, write code, inspect objects, and debug โ€” all running natively with Metal-accelerated graphics. FULL PHARO DESKTOP Run unmodified official Pharo 13 images. The System Browser, Playground, Inspector, Debugger, and every tool you know from desktop Pharo works here. No special images required. BUILT FOR TOUCH Intuitive gesture mapping makes Pharo comfortable on a touchscreen. Tap for left-click, long-press for right-click, two-finger tap for middle-click. Pinch to zoom. Full hardware keyboard support with modifier keys on iPad. NATIVE PERFORMANCE A clean-room interpreter written in C++ with Metal GPU rendering. Smooth 30fps display, efficient memory management, and full foreign function interface support. IMAGE LIBRARY Download official Pharo 13 images directly from the app. Import your own .image files from the Files app. Keep multiple images organized and switch between projects easily. WORKS EVERYWHERE Universal app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac (via Mac Catalyst). Your Pharo environment goes wherever you do. PRIVACY FIRST No accounts, no telemetry, no data collection. Your code stays on your device. Period. OPEN SOURCE The VM is MIT-licensed and open source. Contributions welcome.

About

Pascal Playground

Write and run Pascal code instantly on iOS devices without any setup. This app offers a focused programming experience inspired by the classic Turbo Pascal environment, featuring a distraction-free editor and built-in examples. It's designed for both experienced Pascal users and newcomers.

Highlights
  • Instant Pascal code execution
  • No setup required
  • Distraction-free editor
  • Offline code running
  • Built-in examples
  • Retro Turbo Pascal theme
Features
Read full description

Turbo Pascal, reimagined. Write and run Pascal code instantly, with no setup required. This app brings a clean, focused programming experience inspired by the classic Turbo Pascal environment, adapted for modern iOS. โ€ข Run Pascal code offline โ€ข Simple, distraction-free editor โ€ข Built-in examples to get started โ€ข Retro Turbo Pascal-inspired theme Whether you are revisiting Pascal or just curious to try it, everything works instantly. No accounts. No setup. Just code.

Screenshots

PharoSmalltalk1 screens
Pascal Playground4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PharoSmalltalk at none against Pascal Playground's 3. PharoSmalltalk also leads on device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Pascal Playground sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. PharoSmalltalk asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PharoSmalltalk ships an update weekly, Pascal Playground every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 5 level
PharoSmalltalk versus Pascal Playground: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPharoSmalltalkPascal Playground
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better18.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size4 MB4 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAaron WohlIgor Kulman

In-app purchases

None

PharoSmalltalk

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Pascal Playground

One-time3
  • Support Small$0.99
  • Support Medium$2.99
  • Support Large$4.99

Questions

Is PharoSmalltalk free?
PharoSmalltalk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pascal Playground free?
Pascal Playground is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PharoSmalltalk or Pascal Playground have ads?
Neither PharoSmalltalk nor Pascal Playground shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PharoSmalltalk or Pascal Playground?
PharoSmalltalk ships an update weekly, and Pascal Playground every 4 days. Most recently, PharoSmalltalk was updated on September 21, 2026 and Pascal Playground on September 19, 2026.

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