Comparison

Hew Playground vs xIDE

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

Head to head
About

Hew Playground

Features
Read full description

Hew is a programming language built around actors -- lightweight, isolated processes that communicate through messages. If you've ever wondered what safe concurrency looks like without locks, mutexes, or data races, Hew is your answer. Hew Playground puts the full language on your iPhone or iPad. Write real programs in a proper code editor with syntax highlighting, auto-indent, brace matching, and a keyboard accessory bar for quick symbol access. The Hew compiler runs on-device via WebAssembly, so you get live error and warning underlines as you type -- no internet required. Long-press any identifier to see its type. When your code is ready, tap Run to execute it on the Hew server and see output instantly. LEARN FROM SCRATCH OR DIVE DEEP Whether you're new to programming or exploring actor-based concurrency for the first time, Hew Playground meets you where you are. - 12 interactive tutorials guide you from Hello World through actors, state machines, closures, and async/await - 13 built-in examples show real patterns: spawning actors, handling errors, matching enums, and more - 19 quick reference cards explain every syntax construct, each with a "Try It" button that loads the snippet into the editor - Full documentation from hew.sh is available in-app, with offline fallback A REAL DEVELOPMENT ENVIRONMENT - Context-aware autocomplete powered by the compiler - Save, rename, and organise programs across sessions - Import and export .hew files through the native file picker - Share code as text, as a hew.run link, or via the system share sheet - Cancel long-running programs with the Stop button - Unsaved changes protection and auto-save when backgrounded DESIGNED FOR EVERY DEVICE Hew Playground is optimised for iPad with a side-by-side editor and output pane connected by a resizable divider. It supports Dynamic Type, VoiceOver labels on all controls, and full keyboard navigation. Available in 11 languages. Hew is an actor-based programming language designed for safe, concurrent systems. Learn more at https://hew.sh

About

xIDE

Features
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xIDE es un entorno de desarrollo integrado (IDE) ligero, profesional y elegante diseñado para iPhone e iPad. Características principales: • Editor de código avanzado: Impulsado por Monaco Editor (el motor detrás de VS Code), con resaltado de sintaxis, sangrado automático y autocompletado. • Consola REPL interactiva: Ejecuta código de Python (vía Pyodide WebAssembly) y JavaScript de manera 100% offline directamente en tu dispositivo. • Previsualización HTML en vivo: Renderiza páginas HTML, CSS y JS en tiempo real sin conexión a internet. • Espacios de trabajo multiproyecto: Organiza y gestiona múltiples proyectos con estructura de archivos y soporte drag & drop. • Diseño Dracula Theme: Interfaz oscura de alto contraste optimizada para reducir la fatiga visual.

Screenshots

Hew Playground4 screens
xIDE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: xIDE at every 3 days against Hew Playground's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hew Playground ships an update every 2 months, xIDE every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
Hew Playground versus xIDE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHew PlaygroundxIDE
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.0 — better26.5
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB15 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperStephen OlesenMartin manriquez

In-app purchases

None

Hew Playground

No in-app purchases

None

xIDE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Hew Playground free?
Hew Playground is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is xIDE free?
xIDE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Hew Playground or xIDE have ads?
Neither Hew Playground nor xIDE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hew Playground or xIDE?
Hew Playground ships an update every 2 months, and xIDE every 3 days. Most recently, Hew Playground was updated on September 23, 2026 and xIDE on September 11, 2026.

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