# OpenLens vs Anvil

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: OpenLens at none against Anvil's 1. OpenLens also leads on chart position (#198 vs unranked). Anvil's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, Anvil every 6 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 16, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | OpenLens | Anvil |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openlens-opencode-client/id6759910797/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **5** | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 5 days** | Every 6 days |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#198** | — |
| Size | 12 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Martyn Pekala](https://appshunter.io/developer/1223413943) | [武汉回到未来科技有限公司](https://appshunter.io/developer/1891400712) |

## What reviewers say

### OpenLens

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/openlens-opencode-client/id6759910797)

**Currently charting:** #198 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This application allows you to remotely control and monitor AI coding sessions from your iPhone. Continue your work seamlessly from your mobile device, manage sessions, and receive real-time updates.

**Highlights:** Remote AI coding session control, Real-time chat with streaming responses, Session management (create, delete), Switch AI providers and models, Live progress on Lock Screen/Dynamic Island, Bonjour/mDNS server discovery, Save multiple server connections

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Anvil

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/anvil-developer-tools/id6785700389)

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anvil Pro | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is OpenLens free?

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

### Is Anvil free?

Anvil is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do OpenLens or Anvil have ads?

Neither OpenLens nor Anvil shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, OpenLens or Anvil?

OpenLens ships an update every 5 days, and Anvil every 6 days. Most recently, OpenLens was updated on October 10, 2026 and Anvil on October 16, 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.*