Comparison

ONELAB vs SIMO

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

Head to head
About

ONELAB

This application provides a finite element package for simulating multi-physics problems. It integrates with open-source tools for mesh generation and solving, offering ready-to-use examples for electromagnetics, thermics, and mechanics.

Highlights
  • Finite element package
  • Multi-physic problem simulation
  • Electromagnetics, thermics, mechanics
  • Integrates with Gmsh and GetDP
  • Ready-to-use examples
  • Add new models via zip archives
Features
Read full description

ONELAB (http://onelab.info) is a finite element package based on the open source mesh generator Gmsh (http://gmsh.info) and the solver GetDP (http://getdp.info). It can be used to simulate a wide variety of multi-physic problems: electromagnetics, thermics, mechanics... ONELAB comes packaged with a selection of ready-to-use examples. New models can be added simply by opening the corresponding zip archive (in Safari, iCloud, Dropbox, etc.).

About

SIMO

This app provides a MATLAB development environment for iOS devices, allowing users to create, edit, and run MATLAB code locally. It's designed for beginners and students learning MATLAB basics, offering essential syntax and functions without requiring an internet connection.

Highlights
  • MATLAB interpreter for beginners
  • Create, edit, and run MATLAB code
  • 100% on-device computation
  • Offline functionality
  • Real-time plot rendering
  • Command console with syntax highlighting
  • File manager with iCloud sync
Features
Read full description

~~~~~~~~~ Check out our FREE app Console, which is powered by SIMO's MATLAB interpreter. If you find Console useful, SIMO is definitely suitable for you. ~~~~~~~~~ SIMO is a feature-rich development environment for MATLAB. We have developed a version of MATLAB interpreter that works for commonly used language syntax and functions for beginners. [+] Who will find SIMO useful? - Students learning the basics of MATLAB. - Course instructors of fundamental MATLAB courses. - Individuals whose works do not depend on specialised toolboxes and advanced language syntax. [+] What is SIMO? - It is an integrated environment for running MATLAB. - It allows you to create, edit, and run MATLAB code on iOS devices. - Unlike other apps that compute on the cloud, it performs computation entirely locally on device. No internet connection is needed. You don't miss a single app feature even if you are offline. [+] What SIMO cannot do? - It does not completely replace MATLAB, as it has only a subset of built-in functions of MATLAB. - It does not support advanced features such as Simulink or creating user-interface. [+] One app, all platforms - You will be amazed at how much work you can do on a phone. The app is designed to let you work effectively on smaller screens. - The iPad app features a split-screen layout. You can enjoy a full-screen workspace, or work on two views simultaneously. - The iPad app runs on Macs with Apple silicon as well. Buy one app and it works on all of the platforms. [+] MATLAB interpreter - The interpreter works for language syntax that is essential to survive a MATLAB course. It provides the most commonly used built-in functions for learners. - The interpreter computes on your device locally. You will not miss a single app feature even if you go completely offline. - SIMO comes with a full set of documentation and user guides. It is offline accessible and full-text searchable. [+] Visualization tool - Plots are rendered in real-time using your device's computing power. Operations such as updating line attributes, pan and zoom are fast and responsive. - Stunning 3D plots are rendered by the device's GPU in real-time. Pan, zoom or rotate with multi-touch gestures, trackpad or keyboard shortcuts. - Plot attributes are editable through the built-in user-interface. You can improvise with different styles without entering a single line of code. [+] Command console - You can run one or many lines of code from the command console. It supports line numbering, auto-intent and syntax highlighting. - Search over thousand lines of output data instantly. You'll never get overwhelmed by the sea of numbers. - Output data are formatted automatically to fit the screen size or app window. Data are always neatly presented however you resize the app. [+] File manager - Files can be synced across all of your iCloud Drive enabled devices (iPhone, iPad, Mac). Or, you can store them locally on device. - Tons of files buried in tons of folders? No worries. The search feature will help you find an item instantly. - It has features you expect from a useful file manager. Add, copy, delete, duplicate, move, rename, sort and more. [+] Script editor - It has features you expect from a useful script editor. Syntax highlight, auto-indent, line numbers and more. - Search for a word in a script. Replace occurrences with another word. - Recent items are accessible from your finger tip. It is a useful feature for navigating through frequently accessed files.

Screenshots

ONELAB4 screens
SIMO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: ONELAB at Free against SIMO's $4.99. ONELAB also leads on rating (5.0 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (100% vs 58%). SIMO's advantage is ratings volume (55 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On 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

ONELAB is free to download; SIMO costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

ONELAB holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SIMO has 55 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of ONELAB's written reviews are positive against 58% of SIMO's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ONELAB ships an update every 2 months, SIMO every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on June 8, 2026 and August 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
ONELAB versus SIMO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterONELABSIMO
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better4.2 (55 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better58.1% of reviews
Number of ratings155 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size95 MB61 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperChristophe GeuzaineNumerical Co.

Customer experience

ONELAB

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SIMO

All ratings55 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral7.3%
Negative12.7%
Written reviews43 reviews
Positive58.1%
Neutral18.6%
Negative23.3%

In-app purchases

None

ONELAB

No in-app purchases

None

SIMO

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ONELAB free?
ONELAB is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SIMO free?
SIMO costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, ONELAB or SIMO?
ONELAB is rated higher. ONELAB averages 5.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while SIMO averages 4.2 from 55 ratings.
Do ONELAB or SIMO have ads?
Neither ONELAB nor SIMO shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ONELAB or SIMO?
ONELAB ships an update every 2 months, and SIMO every 3 weeks. Most recently, ONELAB was updated on June 8, 2026 and SIMO on August 17, 2026.

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