Comparison

Textastic Code Editor vs Web Inspector

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

Web Inspector

This app provides a suite of web development tools for Safari on mobile devices. Inspect and edit the DOM, view element styles, execute JavaScript commands, monitor network requests, and examine stored resources like cookies.

Highlights
  • DOM inspection and editing
  • Element style viewer
  • JavaScript console
  • Network request monitoring
  • Resource storage details
Features
Read full description

Web Inspector expands Safari on iPhone and iPad with a set of web development tools: Elements: Browse the DOM tree and tap elements on the page to inspect them. View node details, styles, and computed values. Search the DOM, edit an element's HTML, and copy or delete nodes. Console: Type JavaScript commands to debug, modify, and get information about your webpage. Sources: Read the webpage's source with syntax highlighting. Network: See a list of network requests made by the webpage, with headers and responses. Filter requests, or copy one as a cURL command. Resources: Find details about the data stored by a webpage, such as cookies, local storage, and session storage. Tip: If you tap the Web Inspector button and nothing happens, reload the page once..

Screenshots

Textastic Code Editor4 screens
Web Inspector4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Textastic Code Editor at 4.7 against Web Inspector's 3.9. Textastic Code Editor also leads on ratings volume (2.5K vs 152) and chart position (#15 vs #45). Web Inspector's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). On price, review sentiment, ads and device support 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. Web Inspector asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Textastic Code Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Textastic Code Editor has 2.5K ratings behind it against 152, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of Textastic Code Editor's written reviews are positive against 65% of Web Inspector's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, Web Inspector weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Textastic Code Editor versus Web Inspector: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextastic Code EditorWeb Inspector
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.5K ratings) — better3.9 (152 ratings)
Positive reviews68.9% of reviews — better64.9% of reviews
Number of ratings2.5K — better152
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscriptionFree — better
Best chart rank#15 — better#45
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB2 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander BlachAnd a Dinosaur

Customer experience

Textastic Code Editor

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

Web Inspector

All ratings152 ratings
Positive68.4%
Neutral9.2%
Negative22.4%
Written reviews222 reviews
Positive64.9%
Neutral13.5%
Negative21.6%

User reviews

Textastic Code Editor

From 2.5K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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)

Web Inspector

From 152 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Efficient web inspector
  • 👍 Useful debugging tools
  • 🔍 Helpful for web development
  • 💡 Brings desktop-like functionality to mobile

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Limited functionality compared to desktop tools
  • 🔍 Inconsistent performance
  • 🔍 Difficult to use or navigate

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

Web Inspector

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • Disappears when reloading webpage
  • Doesn't work on newer iOS versions
  • Doesn't load on crashed tabs
  • Permissions issues

Requested features

4 requests
  • CSS editing capabilities
  • Resizable panel
  • Improved console functionality
  • Better integration with Safari

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

Web Inspector

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Textastic Code Editor free?
Textastic Code Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Web Inspector free?
Web Inspector is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Textastic Code Editor or Web Inspector?
Textastic Code Editor is rated higher. Textastic Code Editor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while Web Inspector averages 3.9 from 152 ratings.
Do Textastic Code Editor or Web Inspector have ads?
Neither Textastic Code Editor nor Web Inspector shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Textastic Code Editor or Web Inspector?
Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and Web Inspector weekly. Most recently, Textastic Code Editor was updated on October 5, 2026 and Web Inspector on October 4, 2026.
Which is more popular, Textastic Code Editor or Web Inspector?
Textastic Code Editor currently peaks at #15 in the App Store charts, and Web Inspector at #45. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons