Beneath vs iDevTools: two ways to get DevTools on iOS
Short answer
iDevTools puts a Chrome-like DevTools panel inside Safari for a flat €0.99, with everything included. Beneath is a standalone browser that runs the genuine Chrome DevTools frontend, adds raw on-the-wire source and ten developer tools, and is free to browse and read with a one-time Pro unlock for the deeper features. iDevTools costs €0.99 and launched in June 2026; Beneath is a free download that launched in September 2026.
Published . Last reviewed . App Store figures checked 15 September 2026.
At a glance
| Fact | Beneath | iDevTools |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Standalone browser, inspector and 10 developer tools | Safari extension |
| Released | 14 September 2026 | 24 June 2026 |
| Developer | Dynamic Web Solutions B.V. (AppActive) | 奕 徐 |
| Price | Free, with a one-time €9.99 Pro unlock | €0.99 |
| Minimum iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Download size | 27.4 MB | 4.3 MB |
| Current version | 1.0 | 1.0 |
| Last updated | 14 September 2026 | 24 June 2026 |
| App Store rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
Figures come from each app's App Store listing, read through Apple's lookup API on 15 September 2026: Beneath and iDevTools.
The short version
iDevTools and Beneath are chasing the same feeling, which is desktop DevTools on a phone. They differ in two ways that matter.
Shape. iDevTools is a Safari extension, so you stay in Safari and open a panel over the page. Beneath is a standalone browser with the inspector built in, plus a Safari share-sheet action for pages you started reading in Safari.
Fidelity. iDevTools describes a Chrome-like interface. Beneath’s Pro mode loads the genuine Chrome DevTools frontend and drives it against the live page. If muscle memory from desktop Chrome is what you are after, that difference is the whole point.
Feature comparison
Rows marked undocumented mean the App Store description does not mention the capability.
| Capability | Beneath | iDevTools |
|---|---|---|
| Runs inside Safari | Share-sheet action only | Yes, as an extension |
| Standalone browser | Yes | No |
| Elements panel | Free to view | Yes |
| Edit HTML and CSS | Beneath Pro | Yes |
| Console output, logs and stack traces | Free | Yes |
| Running JavaScript in the console | Beneath Pro | Yes |
| Network requests | Free to list, details with Pro | Yes |
| Cookies and storage | Free to view, editing with Pro | Yes |
| Sources | Free | Yes |
| Page audit | No | Yes |
| Dockable, resizable panel | iPad split view with a divider | Yes, right or bottom |
| Keeps state across refreshes | Yes, reattaches on navigation | Yes |
| Genuine Chrome DevTools frontend | Beneath Pro | No, a Chrome-like interface |
| Raw server bytes shown separately from the DOM | Free | Undocumented |
| Response headers and redirect chain | Free | Undocumented |
| Copy request as cURL | Beneath Pro | Undocumented |
| WebSocket frames | Beneath Pro | Undocumented |
| Ten built-in developer tools | Three free, seven with Pro | None |
| Price | Free, with a one-time Pro unlock | €0.99, everything included |
| Minimum iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
What iDevTools includes
From its App Store description, iDevTools brings desktop-style DevTools to Safari on iPad and iPhone. It covers inspecting pages, editing HTML and CSS, running JavaScript in a console, viewing network requests, managing cookies and storage, browsing sources, and auditing pages, in what it calls a familiar Chrome-like interface.
The ergonomics are a real focus. You can dock the panel to the right or the bottom, resize panels, use touch or a trackpad, and it keeps your selected tab and workflow after a page refresh without restarting.
It is worth being clear that page auditing is something iDevTools offers and Beneath does not. If Lighthouse-style audits on the phone are what you want, that is a point in its favour.
What Beneath adds
The real DevTools, not a lookalike. Beneath serves the prebuilt Chrome DevTools frontend from the app bundle into a second web view and bridges the Chrome DevTools Protocol messages natively. Elements, Console, Network and Application are the actual Chromium panels.
Raw source as a first-class view. Beneath separates the bytes the server sent from the DOM after JavaScript ran, and labels which one you are looking at. You get the status, the response headers as received, and the full redirect chain alongside them.
A browser rather than an add-on. Long-press any link for Open, View Source, Copy or Share. Pull to refresh, desktop-site toggle, find on page, downloads for files Safari would not display.
What each one costs
iDevTools is €0.99 once, with everything included. There is no tier inside it.
Beneath is free to download, and asks €9.99 for Beneath Pro, which opens the console, editing the page or storage, full request details, copy as cURL, the Chrome DevTools panels and seven of its ten tools.
On price alone, iDevTools wins comfortably. Under a euro for everything, against ten times that for Beneath’s paid half. If you want a console and a DevTools-style panel for the least money, that is the answer and we are not going to argue with it.
Where the arithmetic changes is what you are buying. Beneath’s free tier is not a trial: browsing, all three source views, response headers, the elements tree, styles, the network list, storage viewing and three tools cost nothing and stay that way. If that covers your use, Beneath is free and iDevTools is €0.99. And if you want the genuine Chrome DevTools frontend rather than a Chrome-like panel, iDevTools does not sell that at any price.
Which should you pick
Choose iDevTools if you want it today for under a euro, you prefer working inside Safari, or page audits matter to you.
Choose Beneath if you want the genuine Chrome DevTools rather than a similar panel, or the server response against the rendered DOM is the thing you keep needing to see.
Both require iOS 17 or later, so there is no difference in device reach, and both are recent: iDevTools shipped in June 2026 and Beneath in September 2026. Neither has App Store ratings yet, so neither has a track record to lean on.
How we compared these
Figures for both apps come from Apple’s iTunes lookup API for the Netherlands storefront, read on 15 September 2026. Capability rows come from each app’s own App Store description. Where a description is silent we mark the row undocumented rather than claiming the feature is absent. iDevTools is a new app at version 1.0, so its description is likely to grow; tell us if this page falls behind.
Frequently asked questions
How much does iDevTools cost?
iDevTools is €0.99 on the Netherlands App Store as of 8 September 2026. It is a paid download rather than a subscription.
Is iDevTools the real Chrome DevTools?
No. Its App Store description says it offers a familiar Chrome-like interface. Beneath's Pro mode runs the actual Chrome DevTools frontend, which is a different thing.
Does iDevTools keep my place after a page refresh?
Yes. Its description says it keeps your selected tab and workflow after page refreshes without restarting the tool. Beneath also reattaches automatically when the page navigates.
Which is better on iPad?
Both are built for it. iDevTools can be docked to the right or bottom and resized. Beneath puts the page and the inspector side by side with a draggable divider and adds keyboard shortcuts.
Is Beneath cheaper than iDevTools?
For the paid features, no. iDevTools is €0.99 once with everything included, while Beneath Pro is €9.99 once. Beneath is cheaper only if its free tier covers you, which includes browsing, all three source views, the elements tree, styles, the network list, storage viewing and three of its ten tools.
How new is iDevTools?
It launched on 24 June 2026 at version 1.0 and had no App Store ratings as of 8 September 2026.