Comparison

Textastic Code Editor vs Hex Editor

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

Hex Editor

This app provides precise hexadecimal editing and comprehensive binary file analysis tools. It allows users to inspect, search, modify, and save binary data with a suite of integrated utilities for reverse engineering and developer workflows.

Highlights
  • Precise hexadecimal editing
  • Byte-level searching
  • File type detection
  • Metadata inspection
  • Bit-level examination
  • Hexadecimal calculations
  • Data conversion tools
  • File comparison
Features
Read full description

"Hex Editor is built around precise hexadecimal editing rather than treating file inspection as an afterthought. Core search language includes hex editor, binary editor, hexadecimal editor, binary file, byte editor. Open a file, move through its byte data, search for a value or text sequence, copy what you need, change the required bytes, and save the result. Use the editor when a normal document viewer cannot show the actual bytes stored inside a file. Byte-level searching helps locate known signatures, strings, offsets, markers, or values without manually scanning an entire file. File Info gives you a quick view of basic file details before you begin deeper inspection. File Type Detector helps identify a file from its content when the extension is missing, unusual, or not enough for your workflow. Metadata Inspector provides another layer of context for understanding information carried by a file. Bit Inspector lets you move below the byte level and examine individual bits when binary representation matters. Hex Calculator is useful for hexadecimal arithmetic, offsets, values, and other low-level calculations. Byte Converter provides quick conversions when you need to move between byte-oriented values while analysing data. Text-Hex connects readable text with hexadecimal representation so you can investigate how characters appear in raw data. Encoding Converter helps you inspect data across supported character encodings instead of guessing how a byte sequence should be interpreted. Base64 Converter gives you a dedicated way to encode or decode Base64 data during technical investigations. String Scanner helps reveal readable text embedded inside binary content and can speed up an initial inspection. Hash Generator provides hashes for data checks and technical workflows where a repeatable fingerprint is useful. Checksum Tool supports checksum-oriented verification when you need to compare calculated values with expected data. Compare Files helps you identify differences between two files instead of relying on visual inspection alone. Entropy Analyzer provides a statistical view that can help you recognise changes in data characteristics across binary content. Byte Statistics summarises byte-level patterns so you can understand data distribution without reading every value individually. These tools work together for reverse engineering workflows, debugging, file inspection, data recovery preparation, protocol investigation, and general developer work. Hex Editor can also be useful when you need to confirm a small binary change, investigate an unknown file, or validate data before moving it elsewhere. Import your file into the toolkit, inspect the relevant region, make only the required edit, then save the resulting file for your next step. The app keeps common binary utilities close to the editor so you can move from editing to analysis without changing applications. Search, copy, inspect, convert, compare, calculate, and analyse from one mobile workspace. Free access provides limited usage, while Pro is designed for users who need unlimited Hex editing. Hex Editor does not replace specialised forensic or reverse-engineering suites; it provides a practical mobile toolkit for everyday hexadecimal and binary work. Use the editor for focused byte changes and use the supporting tools when the surrounding data needs more context. Whether you are checking a binary structure, looking for a string, comparing versions, or validating a checksum, the workflow stays centred on the file data itself. The interface is designed for direct access to low-level information without requiring a separate desktop utility for every small inspection task. Use it when a binary file needs a small, deliberate change rather than a complete rewrite. Inspect hexadecimal offsets when you need to understand where a value occurs in a file. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/"

Screenshots

Textastic Code Editor4 screens
Hex Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Hex Editor at free with in-app purchases against Textastic Code Editor's subscription. Hex Editor also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 69%) and update cadence (weekly vs every 2 weeks). Textastic Code Editor's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#11 vs unranked). On price, in-app purchases, 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 and Hex Editor sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, Hex Editor weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Textastic Code Editor versus Hex Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextastic Code EditorHex Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2.6K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews68.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings2.6K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationSubscriptionFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#11 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.6
Further details — not scored
Size26 MB47 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperAlexander BlachNirali Kosiya

Customer experience

Textastic Code Editor

All ratings2,552 ratings
Positive93.1%
Neutral1.5%
Negative5.4%
Written reviews603 reviews
Positive68.8%
Neutral8.6%
Negative22.6%

Hex Editor

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

Hex Editor

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
4 purchases

Hex Editor

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Hex-Edit$0.997 Days
  • Monthly Hex-Edit$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Hex-Edit$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Hex-Edit$49.99

Questions

Is Textastic Code Editor free?
Textastic Code Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Hex Editor free?
Hex Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Textastic Code Editor or Hex Editor have ads?
Hex Editor shows ads; Textastic Code Editor does not.
Which is updated more often, Textastic Code Editor or Hex Editor?
Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hex Editor weekly. Most recently, Textastic Code Editor was updated on November 6, 2026 and Hex Editor on November 10, 2026.

Other comparisons