Comparison

Textastic Code Editor vs LayoutStudio

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

LayoutStudio

Features
Read full description

LayoutStudio is a focused visual workspace for designing and reviewing native asset layouts before implementation. Build visually Add titles, descriptions, advertiser labels, icons, main images, calls to action, ad labels, privacy elements, custom text, and boxes. Move and resize each asset directly on the canvas, then enter exact position and size values when precision matters. Preview in context Switch to a clean preview without editing controls. Try neutral colors, gentle gradients, a local image, or built-in mock templates as the background. Adjust zoom and canvas presentation to check whether the layout feels natural in its intended surroundings. Keep your work moving Save projects locally, reopen saved work from the project list, and recover the latest draft after an interruption. Coordinates and sizes remain part of the portable layout document so the design stays consistent across different displays. Designed for focused work Optional grids, snap-to-grid, undo and redo, image scale options, a clean full-screen preview, and draft recovery help you iterate without unnecessary setup. Image selection uses the system picker, and project content stays in the app's local storage unless you choose to share an exported preview. LayoutStudio is a layout prototyping and review tool. It does not request, bind, validate, or serve native ads inside the editing canvas.

Screenshots

Textastic Code Editor4 screens
LayoutStudio3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: LayoutStudio at none against Textastic Code Editor's 3. LayoutStudio also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 3 weeks). Textastic Code Editor's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, device support and iOS requirement 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. LayoutStudio asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 3 weeks, LayoutStudio every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Textastic Code Editor versus LayoutStudio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextastic Code EditorLayoutStudio
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.5K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.9% of reviews—
Number of ratings2.5K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationSubscription—
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB13 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander BlachGWANG YONG YU

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

LayoutStudio

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

LayoutStudio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Textastic Code Editor free?
Textastic Code Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is LayoutStudio free?
LayoutStudio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Textastic Code Editor or LayoutStudio have ads?
LayoutStudio shows ads; Textastic Code Editor does not.
Which is updated more often, Textastic Code Editor or LayoutStudio?
Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 3 weeks, and LayoutStudio every 3 days. Most recently, Textastic Code Editor was updated on October 15, 2026 and LayoutStudio on October 8, 2026.

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