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Soarias vs Nova

Nova is a native macOS code editor built by Panic, designed for developers who want a fast, beautiful writing environment for any language or framework. Soarias is a local-first iOS shipping pipeline that takes Claude Code output all the way to an App Store submission — the two tools occupy very different places in an iOS developer's workflow.

At a glance

Feature Soarias Nova
Pricing model $79 one-time One-time purchase + optional subscription for updates
Generates native SwiftUI Yes — full SwiftUI + SwiftData output Does not generate native SwiftUI — code editor only
Runs locally Yes — fully local, no cloud required Yes — native macOS app
App Store submission pipeline Built-in — signs, screenshots, submits Not included
AI integration Claude Code (bring your own API key) AI via Nova extensions (third-party)
Subscription required No Optional for continued update access
Best for Shipping a complete iOS app with Claude Code Writing and editing code across any language or platform
Data ownership All files stay on your Mac All files stay on your Mac

What is Nova?

Nova is a native macOS code editor made by Panic, Inc. — the Portland-based studio behind Transmit and Prompt. It is built entirely for macOS using native frameworks, which gives it a responsiveness and polish that cross-platform Electron-based editors cannot easily replicate. Nova supports syntax highlighting for dozens of languages, a rich extension marketplace, built-in Git integration, a split-pane terminal, and a fast fuzzy file finder.

For developers who spend most of their day inside a text editor, Nova's attention to macOS conventions — system fonts, native scroll physics, proper dark-mode rendering, and Retina-quality rendering — makes the writing experience noticeably more comfortable than many alternatives. Extensions can add language servers, linters, formatters, and AI assistants including third-party Claude and OpenAI integrations.

Nova is a general-purpose editor. It does not generate native SwiftUI code, manage provisioning profiles, build .ipa archives, or submit apps to App Store Connect. Those steps still require Xcode, command-line tooling, or a dedicated pipeline. Nova's strength is in providing a refined environment in which you write and maintain that code day to day.

What is Soarias?

Soarias is a local-first iOS shipping desktop app for macOS, priced at a one-time $79. It is designed specifically for developers using Claude Code who want to take an app idea all the way from a written description to a live App Store listing without switching between a dozen separate tools. The entire pipeline — SwiftUI scaffolding, SwiftData models, code generation, signing, App Store screenshots, privacy declarations, and TestFlight or App Store submission — runs on your Mac. No files leave your machine unless you explicitly upload to Apple's servers during submission.

Soarias brings your own Claude Code API key, so you stay in control of which model you use and what it costs. Because it is a one-time purchase with no recurring subscription, the economics are straightforward: pay once, ship as many apps as you need. It is not a code editor — it does not replace Nova or any other editor for day-to-day coding work. It is the layer that takes code and drives it through the Apple ecosystem's bureaucracy so you can focus on building rather than configuring.

Key differences

Pipeline versus editor

Nova's job is to be the environment where you read, write, and navigate code. Soarias's job is to execute a series of steps — generate, build, sign, screenshot, submit — that carry an iOS app from raw idea to the App Store. These are complementary roles: a developer could write Swift in Nova and then hand the project to Soarias's pipeline for submission. Comparing them as direct substitutes misunderstands what each tool is for, but the distinction matters when you are deciding what to buy to solve the specific problem of shipping an iOS app.

Native SwiftUI generation versus manual authoring

Soarias generates native SwiftUI and SwiftData code as part of its pipeline, driven by Claude Code. Nova does not currently generate native SwiftUI — it is the canvas on which you write that code yourself, or paste in what a separate AI tool produces. If your bottleneck is the volume of boilerplate required to scaffold a production-ready iOS app, Soarias removes that bottleneck directly. If your bottleneck is the quality of your editing experience while hand-crafting complex UI logic, Nova addresses that instead.

App Store submission as a first-class feature

Getting code into App Store Connect involves code signing, provisioning profiles, capability entitlements, screenshots at multiple device sizes, privacy nutrition labels, age ratings, and metadata in every supported locale. Soarias bundles all of that into a guided flow. Nova has no awareness of App Store Connect; those steps remain outside its scope. For a developer shipping their first app or shipping frequently, the integrated submission flow in Soarias represents significant time saved per release cycle.

Cost over 24 months

Soarias is a one-time purchase at $79. Over 24 months the cost does not change: $79 total. There is no seat fee, no usage tier, and no renewal.

Nova uses a one-time purchase model with an optional subscription for continued access to new releases. The initial purchase grants a perpetual licence to the version available at purchase time. Developers who want updates beyond that point can add a subscription. Panic's website lists the current prices; the total 24-month figure depends on whether you opt into the subscription and for how long.

Important caveat: these two tools do not have equivalent feature scopes. Nova is a full-featured code editor used daily for all kinds of development work. Soarias is a specialised iOS shipping pipeline. A direct cost comparison is most useful if you are specifically evaluating what it costs to add iOS shipping automation to your workflow — not if you are looking for a general editor.

When to choose each

Choose Nova if…

  • →You want a polished, native macOS editing experience for writing code across many languages and frameworks, not just Swift.
  • →You already have an Xcode + CI workflow for App Store submission and just need a better daily editor to replace or complement Xcode's built-in editor.
  • →You value a rich extension ecosystem and the ability to configure the tool heavily to your personal coding style.
  • →You work on web, backend, or cross-platform projects alongside iOS and want a single editor that handles all of them well.

Choose Soarias if…

  • →You are building iOS apps with Claude Code and want the entire pipeline — generation, signing, screenshots, submission — handled in one place.
  • →You want a one-time cost with no ongoing subscription and no per-app fees.
  • →You want all project files to remain on your Mac and prefer a local-first approach over cloud-hosted build services.
  • →The friction of App Store Connect — provisioning, metadata, screenshots, privacy labels — is the part of iOS development you most want to reduce.

Related comparisons

FAQ

Can I use Nova and Soarias together? +
Yes. Nova is a code editor and Soarias is a shipping pipeline — they operate at different stages of an iOS project. You could write and refine Swift files in Nova, then open the same project in Soarias when you are ready to build, sign, and submit to App Store Connect. Because Soarias is local-first and works with standard Xcode project structures, it does not require any specific editor upstream.
Does Nova support iOS development at all? +
Nova supports Swift syntax highlighting and can open iOS project files. It does not currently generate native SwiftUI or SwiftData code, and it does not have built-in support for building, signing, or submitting iOS apps to Apple. Those tasks still require Xcode or dedicated tooling like Soarias. Nova can be a comfortable place to read and edit Swift source files as part of an iOS project, but it is not a replacement for a build-and-ship pipeline.
Does Soarias require any other editor or IDE? +
Soarias requires Xcode to be installed on your Mac because it uses Apple's build toolchain (xcodebuild, codesign, altool / notarytool) under the hood. It does not require Nova, VS Code, or any other editor. The SwiftUI and SwiftData code is generated by Claude Code within Soarias's pipeline. You can still open the generated project in any editor you prefer for manual edits before submission.
Is Soarias's $79 price per project or per seat? +
Soarias is a one-time $79 purchase per developer seat. There is no per-project fee, no submission limit, and no recurring subscription. You can use it to ship as many iOS apps as you like from that Mac. The only ongoing cost is your Claude Code API usage, which is billed directly by Anthropic based on the tokens your projects consume.

Ready to ship your iOS app?

Soarias takes your Claude Code project from prompt to App Store in one local pipeline. One payment, no subscription, all files stay on your Mac.

Try Soarias — $79 one-time

Last reviewed: 2026-05-11 by the Soarias team. Nova is a trademark of Panic, Inc. Soarias is not affiliated with Panic, Inc.