Comparison

Textastic Code Editor vs PortX

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

Head to head
About

Textastic Code Editor

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
Read full description

Textastic is a comprehensive and versatile text and code editor for iPad and iPhone. It supports syntax highlighting for more than 80 programming and markup languages. Connect to SFTP, FTP, and WebDAV servers or to your Dropbox account. Use the built-in SSH terminal to work directly on your server. Features: - Syntax highlighting for more than 80 languages, including HTML, JavaScript, CSS, C++, Swift, Objective-C, Rust, XML, Markdown, PHP, Perl, Python, Ruby, Lua, YAML, JSON, SQL, shell scripts, and many more (full list available on the website) - Compatible with Sublime Text 3 and TextMate 1 syntax definitions and themes - Code completion for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, C, Objective-C, and PHP - SFTP (SSH), FTP, FTPS (FTP over SSL), WebDAV, and Dropbox clients - SSH terminal connections - Code formatter for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and JSON - Git repositories from the Git client app Working Copy can be opened as external folders in Textastic - Emmet support - JavaScript console - iCloud Drive file synchronization - WebDAV server for easy file transfer between Textastic and your Mac or PC over Wi-Fi - Symbol list for quick navigation within a file - Full support for external keyboards, trackpads, and mice - Configurable keyboard shortcuts - Additional keys above the virtual keyboard for frequently used programming characters - Cursor navigation wheel for easy text selection - Move the cursor using swipe gestures - Split View and Slide Over multitasking on iPad - Open multiple files in tabs - Multiple windows on iPadOS - Dark Mode support - Support for common text encodings such as UTF-8, UTF-16, and ISO-8859-1 - Support for different tab widths and soft tabs (spaces instead of tabs) - Custom fonts - Find and Replace, including regular expression search - Find in multiple files - File information such as character and word counts - Local and remote web preview for HTML and Markdown files Pricing: Textastic requires a monthly or yearly subscription or a one-time purchase. Each subscription includes a 7-day free trial with full access to all features. Privacy Policy: https://www.textasticapp.com/privacy.html Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

PortX

Access and manage remote systems on your mobile device with this powerful SSH client. It offers multi-session support, intuitive session management, and an advanced keyboard for efficient command input. Customize appearance and enjoy an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Multi-session support
  • Intuitive session management
  • Multi-line compose bar
  • Advanced keyboard with special characters
  • Multiple authentication types
  • Customizable appearance
Features
Read full description

****** Please switch to our new app, Xcasca. This app will be deprecated soon. ****** Xcasca, the new version of PortX, is now available! This current app will soon be deprecated, so please install Xcasca to continue. You can install Xcasca from the link below. https://apps.apple.com/app/xcasca-ssh-sftp-client/id6749602189 --------------------------------------------------------------- PortX Mobile brings the power of our desktop SSH Client to your mobile device (SFTP is currently available on the Desktop version only, but will be supported on Mobile soon). With a wide variety of features in a lightweight package, PortX Mobile allows you to access and manage remotes systems on-the-go through an intuitive user interface. PortX Mobile Features: ◦ Multi-Session Support. Have multiple connections open at once. Access to any of your sessions a just a finger-swipe or click away. ◦ Intuitive Session Management. Organize and edit your sessions with PortX’s session management. ◦ Compose Bar. The multi-line Compose Bar allows you to type out, edit, and review your string before sending. ◦ Advance Keyboard. Quick access to all special characters for whatever the situation calls for. ◦ Multiple Authentication Types. Password, Public Key, and Keyboard Interactive authentication support. ◦ Customizations. Modify appearance, font, and colors. ◦ Ad-Free ◦ More features coming soon. ◦ Desktop version also available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. PortX redefines how you interact with a mobile SSH Client. On-the-go session management has never been easier.

Screenshots

Textastic Code Editor4 screens
PortX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Textastic Code Editor at 4.7 against PortX's 3.7. Textastic Code Editor also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 19) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). PortX's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads 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

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

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Textastic Code Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Textastic Code Editor has 2.5K ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 69% of Textastic Code Editor's written reviews are positive against 73% of PortX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, PortX monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Textastic Code Editor versus PortX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextastic Code EditorPortX
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.5K ratings) — better3.7 (19 ratings)
Positive reviews68.9% of reviews72.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.5K — better19
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#15 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS16.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander BlachNetSarang Computer, Inc.

Customer experience

Textastic Code Editor

All ratings2,510 ratings
Positive93.2%
Neutral1.6%
Negative5.2%
Written reviews599 reviews
Positive68.9%
Neutral8.7%
Negative22.4%

PortX

All ratings19 ratings
Positive63.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative31.6%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative15.0%

Bugs and requests

Textastic Code Editor

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

4 requests
  • 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

PortX

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Textastic Code Editor

Subscriptions2
  • Textastic Pro (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • Textastic Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Textastic Pro (One-Time)$69.99
None

PortX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Textastic Code Editor free?
Textastic Code Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PortX free?
PortX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Textastic Code Editor or PortX?
Textastic Code Editor is rated higher. Textastic Code Editor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while PortX averages 3.7 from 19 ratings.
Do Textastic Code Editor or PortX have ads?
Neither Textastic Code Editor nor PortX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Textastic Code Editor or PortX?
Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and PortX monthly. Most recently, Textastic Code Editor was updated on September 23, 2026 and PortX on September 25, 2026.

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