# Textastic Code Editor vs iSH Shell

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iSH Shell at none against Textastic Code Editor's 3. iSH Shell also leads on review sentiment (80% vs 69%) and iOS requirement (11.0 vs 16.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Textastic Code Editor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. iSH Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Textastic Code Editor against 4.7 for iSH Shell. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2.5K and 1.2K respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Textastic Code Editor's written reviews are positive against 80% of iSH Shell's.

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, iSH Shell every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 29, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Textastic Code Editor | iSH Shell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textastic-code-editor/id1049254261/reviews) | [4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 1.2K |
| Positive reviews | 68.9% of reviews | **80.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#10** | #17 |
| Size | 26 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Blach](https://appshunter.io/developer/303486870) | [Theodore Dubois](https://appshunter.io/developer/1432356577) |

## What reviewers say

### Textastic Code Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textastic-code-editor/id1049254261)

**Currently charting:** #10 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #41 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful text and code editor for mobile devices, offering syntax highlighting for over 80 languages, code completion, and formatting tools. It allows connection to various servers and cloud storage for seamless file management and editing.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting for 80+ languages, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, and Dropbox client, Built-in SSH terminal, Code completion and formatting, External keyboard and trackpad support, Split View and Slide Over multitasking

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Textastic Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Textastic Pro (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Textastic Pro (One-Time) | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly performant
- 👍 Versatile and feature-rich
- 💡 Excellent integration with other apps (e.g. Working Copy)
- 👍 Customizable and intuitive UI
- 👍 Reliable and stable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔒 Restrictive paywall for basic functionality
- 👎 Confusing file management and upload/download workflow
- 👎 Lack of modern code editing features (e.g. auto-indent, code folding)

**Reported bugs**

- Issues with SSH/SFTP connectivity and authentication
- Problems with handling large files or files with certain extensions
- Inconsistent text selection and editing behavior

**Requested features**

- Add support for more cloud storage providers (e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive)
- Implement a more seamless remote file editing and syncing workflow
- Improve code editing features like code folding, multi-cursor support, and code beautification
- Add a built-in terminal or ability to run code directly within the app


### iSH Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Experience a Linux-like command-line environment directly on your iOS device. This application allows you to perform common Linux operations such as editing, moving, and manipulating files using familiar commands.

**Highlights:** Linux-like shell environment, File editing with sed and cat, File manipulation, Command-line operations, Pocket Linux experience

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent Linux environment
- 👍 Great for SSH and network utilities
- 💡 Allows running Linux apps on iOS
- 🔒 Secure and sandboxed
- 👍 Customizable and flexible

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Battery intensive
- ⚠️ Limited functionality compared to full Linux
- ⚠️ Outdated packages and dependencies

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor focus issues
- Incompatibility with certain commands and packages
- Mounting issues with iOS file system

**Requested features**

- Add support for more Linux distributions
- Improve performance and stability
- Implement GUI support
- Add shortcuts and automation features


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Textastic Code Editor free?

Textastic Code Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is iSH Shell free?

iSH Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Textastic Code Editor or iSH Shell?

Textastic Code Editor and iSH Shell are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2.5K and 1.2K ratings respectively.

### Do Textastic Code Editor or iSH Shell have ads?

Neither Textastic Code Editor nor iSH Shell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Textastic Code Editor or iSH Shell?

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and iSH Shell every 3 weeks. Most recently, Textastic Code Editor was updated on September 29, 2026 and iSH Shell on September 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Textastic Code Editor or iSH Shell?

Textastic Code Editor currently peaks at #10 in the App Store charts, and iSH Shell at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*