PAKEDOU vs IT Playbook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
PAKEDOU
Visualize real-time network packet flow by placing and connecting various network devices. Learn networking concepts through interactive simulations, with detailed feedback on packet failures and two progressive learning modes.
- 14 network device types
- Real-time packet flow visualization
- Simple and Realistic simulation modes
- Detailed educational feedback on failures
- Daily network outage challenges
- 16-language UI support
Read full descriptionHide full description
PAKEDOU is a simulation app that visualizes network packet flow in real time. Place and connect 14 types of network devices - Router, L2 Switch, Firewall, Load Balancer, NAT, DNS Server, WAF, CDN, and more - on a canvas, and watch HTTP, DNS, ICMP, ARP, and TCP packets flow through your topology with animations. [Who is this for?] - Anyone who wants to visually understand how networks work - Students preparing for CCNA, CompTIA Network+, or similar certifications - Trainers looking for hands-on teaching material for new engineers - Anyone who wants to learn routing, NAT, and VLAN by doing [Two modes for progressive learning] Simple Mode: Packets are delivered just by connecting cables. Routing and MAC resolution are automatic. Even networking beginners can start exploring immediately. Realistic Mode: Simulates real network behavior. Requires routing table configuration, default gateways, ARP resolution (broadcast request -> unicast reply), TCP 3-way handshake (SYN -> SYN+ACK -> ACK), and DNS name resolution. [Educational feedback] When a packet is dropped, the app shows "Why it failed" with an explanation and a hint to fix it. On timeout, a device-type-specific explanation is auto-generated based on where the packet got stuck. [Key Features] - 14 network device types (Client, Server, Router, L2/L3/VLAN Switch, Firewall, LB, NAT, DNS, WAF, CDN, Proxy, Internet) - Color-coded protocol display: HTTP, DNS, ICMP, ARP, TCP - Device configuration (IP/subnet, routing table, ACL rules, VLAN ID, DNS A records, NAT rules, etc.) - Tap a log entry to expand L2-L7 packet details - Manual/auto packet send (choose protocol, source, destination) - Domain-based send (auto DNS query -> HTTP send for real-world flow experience) - SQL injection and XSS attack packets (for WAF testing) - Save/load topology (Free 1 slot / Pro 5 slots) - Playback speed control (0.25x-10x) - Pinch-zoom and pan navigation - First-launch tutorial (6 swipeable pages, each with a built-in Canvas animation) - Starter topology auto-load (Client -> L2 Switch -> Server placed right after the tutorial) - UI in 16 languages (Japanese, English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Brazilian Portuguese, German, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Russian, Italian, Turkish, Thai, Vietnamese) auto-detected from device locale [Today's Outage] Every day, one broken network arrives. Send packets, read the logs, fix the settings, then check your answer. Every challenge is verified by the simulator itself before it is published: it is guaranteed to be broken and guaranteed to be fixable. Inside the day's challenge, Free users can also operate Pro devices (Firewall, DNS Server, VLAN Switch, Load Balancer, WAF). After clearing it, share your move count, hints used and time. Offline, 14 bundled challenges are always available. Story, hints and explanation come in all 16 languages. Pro users can also replay the past 30 days. [Free / Pro] Free: 5 device types, max 5 devices, 1 save slot, with ads Pro (one-time purchase, price shown in the store): all 14 device types, unlimited devices, 5 save slots, no ads, detailed logs, past 30 days of Today's Outage Already purchased? Tap "Pro" in the toolbar, then "Restore Purchase". [Privacy] Topologies you create are stored locally on the device, and the app itself does not send your data to external servers. The Free version displays Unity Ads, whose SDK collects device identifiers and similar data. See our privacy policy for details. Ads are shown only after you choose whether to allow personalized ads on first launch, and you can turn personalized ads off at any time under "?" > "Ad settings".
IT Playbook
Learn complex IT concepts through interactive lessons, narrated explanations, and hands-on simulations. Master topics from Python and Linux to Kubernetes and AI with engaging content and spaced repetition flashcards.
- Narrated lessons with synchronized text
- Interactive diagrams and simulations
- Hands-free voice-controlled flashcards
- Spaced repetition for memorization
- Offline course access
- Daily learning streaks
- Regular content updates
Read full descriptionHide full description
What actually happens when you type git push? Why does Kubernetes bring a container back after you kill it? How does a database find one row among millions in a blink? IT Playbook answers questions like these in 31 courses, from your first line of Python to Linux, Docker and Kubernetes, the cloud, networking, security and AI. Each one is written like a good book: one idea at a time, in plain words, nothing skipped. READ IT, OR JUST LISTEN Every lesson is read aloud in a natural voice, sentence by sentence, and the sentence you are hearing lights up on the page. Follow along, or switch on Play in background, put the phone in your pocket and keep learning on a walk, in the car or at the gym: the narration keeps going with the screen off. DON'T JUST READ ABOUT IT. PLAY WITH IT. 344 diagrams in the courses are alive. Kill a pod and watch Kubernetes bring it back. Break one step of a CI pipeline and see where everything stops. Drop numbers into a search tree, let an algorithm find the shortest route, watch scattered points sort themselves into groups. Tap, change a value, and see what happens. Things that take a page to explain click in ten seconds when you can poke them yourself. FLASHCARDS, HANDS-FREE Every course comes with its own flashcards, built from its glossary: almost 7,000 terms in all. Switch on Hands-free and the trainer runs by voice. It reads a definition, you say the term out loud, it tells you whether you got it and moves on. No tapping, no looking at the screen. Do a round while you cook or walk the dog, and the words simply stay with you. A smart schedule brings each card back right before you would forget it. ALSO INSIDE - One beginner course free every month, in full, for anyone with a free account. No credit card needed. - On top of that, the first chapter of all 31 courses is free, so you can try any topic before you decide. - A short quiz after every lesson, with an explanation for every answer, the wrong ones too. - Two voices, the speed you like, and a pause between sentences you can stretch while an idea sinks in. - Whole courses saved for offline, so a flight or a tunnel is no reason to stop. - A daily streak that counts reading and flashcards, because you need both. - Courses re-checked against the official documentation on a regular schedule, so what you learn is still true today. FREE, AND PAID Chapter one of every course is free, and so is every chapter overview and one beginner course each month, in full. An All Courses subscription opens everything: $16.00 a month, or $119.99 a year. Half price for the first year: $8.00 a month for the first twelve months, or $60.00 for the first year. Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and it can be managed or cancelled in your Apple Account settings at any time. ONE ACCOUNT EVERYWHERE Your progress, your streak and your flashcard schedule follow you between the iPhone, the iPad, the Mac and the website, because they are the same account and the same data. Start a lesson on a laptop, finish it on a bus. Sign in with Apple or with Google. Delete the account, and everything with it, from Settings whenever you want. Terms of Use: https://itplaybook.org/portal/academy/terms.html Privacy Policy: https://itplaybook.org/portal/academy/privacy.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: PAKEDOU at none against IT Playbook's 2. IT Playbook's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and ratings volume (4 vs 1). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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
Both are free to download. IT Playbook sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $16.00 per month. PAKEDOU asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for PAKEDOU against 5.0 for IT Playbook. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 4 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.
PAKEDOU ships an update every 5 days, IT Playbook every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | PAKEDOU | IT Playbook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (4 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 4 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 4 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 13 MB | 25 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Fuji Bit Inc. | SERGEY OKINCHUK |
Customer experience
PAKEDOU
IT Playbook
In-app purchases
PAKEDOU
No in-app purchases
IT Playbook
- All Courses, Monthly1 Month trial$16.001 Month
- All Courses, Yearly1 Year trial$119.991 Year
Questions
Is PAKEDOU free?
Is IT Playbook free?
Which has better reviews, PAKEDOU or IT Playbook?
Do PAKEDOU or IT Playbook have ads?
Which is updated more often, PAKEDOU or IT Playbook?
Other comparisons















