Comparison

TextEdit vs Lightweight Text Editor

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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/

About

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.

Highlights
  • Open any plain text file
  • Create folders for organization
  • Change text encoding
  • Adjust line endings (CR/LF/CRLF)
  • No formatting concerns
Features
Read full description

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

TextEdit4 screens
Lightweight Text Editor3 screens

Verdict

The call

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

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.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

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.

Scorecard9 real differences · 1 level
TextEdit versus Lightweight Text Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextEditLightweight Text Editor
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating3.7 (376 ratings)4.3 (58 ratings) — better
Positive reviews18.1% of reviews82.2% of reviews — better
Number of ratings376 — better58
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 26 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size480 MB1 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKairoos Solutions SLErik Wegener

Customer experience

TextEdit

All ratings376 ratings
Positive66.2%
Neutral4.8%
Negative29.0%
Written reviews160 reviews
Positive18.1%
Neutral8.1%
Negative73.8%

Lightweight Text Editor

All ratings58 ratings
Positive81.0%
Neutral5.2%
Negative13.8%
Written reviews45 reviews
Positive82.2%
Neutral6.7%
Negative11.1%

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

3 purchases

TextEdit

Subscriptions2
  • TextEdit+ Unlock AI Assistant3 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • TextEdit+ Unlock AI Assistant3 Days trial$29.991 Year
One-time1
  • TextEdit+ Full Unlock$24.99
None

Lightweight Text Editor

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TextEdit free?
TextEdit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Lightweight Text Editor free?
Lightweight Text Editor costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, TextEdit or Lightweight Text Editor?
Lightweight Text Editor is rated higher. TextEdit averages 3.7 out of 5 from 376 ratings, while Lightweight Text Editor averages 4.3 from 58 ratings.
Do TextEdit or Lightweight Text Editor have ads?
Neither TextEdit nor Lightweight Text Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TextEdit or Lightweight Text Editor?
TextEdit ships an update every 3 weeks, and Lightweight Text Editor every 26 months. Most recently, TextEdit was updated on September 21, 2026 and Lightweight Text Editor on September 24, 2026.

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