Delphi vs LiveCode

Delphi9.2Visit LiveCode8.1Visit

Higher score Delphi #1 in Mobile Development IDEs 9.2/10 Free plan · 30-day trial Free planFree trial✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Embarcadero

vs

LiveCode #6 in Mobile Development IDEs 8.1/10 Paid ✓ 2 of 3 features Visit LiveCode

• Delphi fits best

  Mature Object Pascal developers

• LiveCode fits best

  Visual multi-target app creation

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Side by side

Feature	Delphi 9.2/10 Visit ↗	LiveCode 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	8.1
Ranking	#1 in Mobile Development IDEs	#6 in Mobile Development IDEs
Best for	Mature Object Pascal developers	Visual multi-target app creation
Pricing model	Free plan + paid	Paid
Starting price	—	—
Free plan	✓ (best)	—
Free trial	30 days	—
Deployment	Desktop, Mobile	Cloud, Desktop, Mobile
Platforms	Windows	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android
Support	Phone, Docs, Community	Email, Docs
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Delphi 0/3 · LiveCode 2/3
Emulator or simulator	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Visual UI designer	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
App packaging	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Specs
Mobile targets	Not checked yet	iOS, Android
Desktop platforms	Not checked yet	Windows, macOS, Linux
Supported languages	Not checked yet	LiveCode Script
Our review
Pros	Visual VCL and FireMonkey designers with hundreds of components Native compilers, debugging, and integrated DUnitX and DUnit testing FireDAC, REST tooling, and broad database connectivity	Visual UI, workflow, and responsive layout editors Publishes to web, desktop, iOS, and Android targets Combines no-code tools with LiveCode Script for custom logic
Cons	The IDE is installed on Windows Community Edition has restrictions Object Pascal focus may not suit other language ecosystems	No free plan is available Mobile deployment documentation describes mobile support as a future release Enterprise features require a separate Enterprise plan
Our verdict	Delphi is a Windows-based integrated development environment for building native desktop and mobile applications with Object Pascal. It combines visual form and user-interface designers, VCL and FireMonkey libraries, native compilers,… Read the review →	LiveCode is a cross-platform application development environment for individuals, businesses, educators, and organizations creating internal or commercial applications. LiveCode Create combines a visual drag-and-drop UI builder, responsive… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Delphi — where it wins

  • Visual VCL and FireMonkey designers with hundreds of components
  • Native compilers, debugging, and integrated DUnitX and DUnit testing
  • FireDAC, REST tooling, and broad database connectivity

  Where it doesn't

  • The IDE is installed on Windows
  • Community Edition has restrictions
  • Object Pascal focus may not suit other language ecosystems

• LiveCode — where it wins

  • Visual UI, workflow, and responsive layout editors
  • Publishes to web, desktop, iOS, and Android targets
  • Combines no-code tools with LiveCode Script for custom logic

  Where it doesn't

  • No free plan is available
  • Mobile deployment documentation describes mobile support as a future release
  • Enterprise features require a separate Enterprise plan

• Delphi9.2/10 · Free plan · 30-day trial

  A mature Windows IDE for native Object Pascal desktop and mobile development.

  Visit EmbarcaderoFull verdict →
• LiveCode8.1/10 · Paid

  A visual, multi-target IDE for teams that want app building without a code-only workflow.

  Visit LiveCodeFull verdict →