TextEdit vs Lightweight Text Editor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
TextEdit
A fast and versatile text editor for mobile devices, offering compatibility with various file formats and editors. It provides a distraction-free writing experience with advanced formatting, organization, and sharing features.
- Supports TXT, RTF, Markdown, TeX, and PDF formats
- Cross-device and computer syncing via iCloud/Files
- Distraction-free writing interface
- Customizable keyboard extension for faster typing
- Visual rich text formatting and one-tap options
- Syntax highlighting for Markdown and TeX
- Instant statistics and counters
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TextEdit+ gives you the control of a capable word processor without the clutter of a full desktop office suite. Create plain-text and rich-text documents, work with Markdown and LaTeX, improve your writing with AI, and keep your files organized in Files and iCloud Drive. You can also open, edit and sync documents created with macOS TextEdit, Microsoft WordPad, Microsoft Word, and Scrivener RTF files directly on your device. WRITE IN THE FORMAT YOU NEED • Create and edit TXT, RTF, RTFD, Markdown, and LaTeX files • Open your documents directly from Files and iCloud Drive • Organize your work with folders and subfolders • Choose where you want to keep your files WRITE AND EDIT WITH AI • Turn your ideas or prompts into a first draft • Rewrite, improve, or summarize any selected text • Adjust the tone, clarity, grammar, and structure of your writing • Use AI without leaving your document FORMAT YOUR DOCUMENT YOUR WAY • Choose your fonts, styles, colors, highlights, and alignment • Create lists and adjust line, paragraph, and document spacing • Use superscript and subscript • Add images and tables to supported document formats • Stay focused with a clean, distraction-free editor WORK WITH MARKDOWN AND LATEX • Preview your Markdown while you write • Write and compile LaTeX directly on your device • Switch easily between your source and the rendered result EDIT FASTER • Find and replace text throughout your document • Check your word, character, sentence, paragraph, and page counts • See the estimated reading time for your text • Use keyboard shortcuts when you work with a hardware keyboard • Move the cursor and select text more precisely with the extended keyboard EXPORT AND SHARE YOUR WORK • Export your documents to PDF, DOCX, RTF, Markdown, plain text, PNG, and HTML • Print, email, or send your files to other apps • Keep your documents in Files or cloud storage and continue working with compatible apps on your other devices Whether you’re writing a quick text file, preparing a formatted document, taking Markdown notes, or working on a LaTeX project, TextEdit+ gives you more control than a notes app without overwhelming you with the complexity of a traditional office suite. Privacy Policy https://www.noteswriter.com/Kairoos_Privacy_Policy.html Terms of Use https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Lightweight Text Editor
This app allows users to work with plain text files without formatting concerns. It can open any text file, create folders for organization, and adjust encoding and line endings.
- Open any plain text file
- Create folders for organization
- Change text encoding
- Adjust line endings (CR/LF/CRLF)
- No formatting concerns
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Lightweight Text Editor is a great tool for users who work with plain text files. If you want to work with raw text without having to worry about formatting, then this app is for you. It can open any plain text file, regardless of the extension. You can create folders to organize your documents. You can also change the encoding and the line endings (CR/LF/CRLF).
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Lightweight Text Editor at 82% against TextEdit's 18%. Lightweight Text Editor also leads on rating (4.3 vs 3.7) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). TextEdit's advantage is price (Free vs $2.99) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 26 months). On 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
TextEdit is free to download; Lightweight Text Editor costs $2.99 up front. TextEdit sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Lightweight Text Editor asks for nothing beyond the download.
Lightweight Text Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TextEdit has 376 ratings behind it against 58, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 18% of TextEdit's written reviews are positive against 82% of Lightweight Text Editor's.
TextEdit ships an update every 3 weeks, Lightweight Text Editor every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | TextEdit | Lightweight Text Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $2.99 |
| Rating | 3.7 (376 ratings) | 4.3 (58 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 18.1% of reviews | 82.2% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 376 — better | 58 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 26 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 480 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Kairoos Solutions SL | Erik Wegener |
Customer experience
TextEdit
Lightweight Text Editor
Bugs and requests
TextEdit
Reported bugs
3 issues- Crashes when opening certain file types
- Formatting issues when copying/pasting text
- Inconsistent behavior across devices
Requested features
3 requests- Allow users to choose iCloud directory
- Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Restore previous paid versions without AI
Lightweight Text Editor
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
TextEdit
- TextEdit+ Unlock AI Assistant3 Days trial$4.991 Month
- TextEdit+ Unlock AI Assistant3 Days trial$29.991 Year
- TextEdit+ Full Unlock$24.99
Lightweight Text Editor
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is TextEdit free?
Is Lightweight Text Editor free?
Which has better reviews, TextEdit or Lightweight Text Editor?
Do TextEdit or Lightweight Text Editor have ads?
Which is updated more often, TextEdit or Lightweight Text Editor?
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