Comparison

TextEdit vs SmartPDF

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

SmartPDF

Features
Read full description

SmartPDF — PDF Toolkit Pro is your complete PDF toolkit for iPhone. Scan, read, organize, edit, sign, and protect documents in one fast and clean workflow. 12 powerful PDF tools • Image to PDF • Word to PDF • Merge PDF • Split PDF • Compress PDF • Page Manager • OCR Extract • Annotate • Sign PDF • Watermark • Redact Text • Password Protect Scan, Read & Create • Scan documents with your camera • Import images and turn them into PDFs • Open PDFs in a built-in reader • Search text inside documents • Browse pages with thumbnails • Save bookmarks and continue where you left off Premium • 7-day free trial for premium features • One-time purchase after trial, no subscription • Restore purchases on devices using the same Apple ID SmartPDF helps you stay productive wherever you are — whether you need to scan paperwork, sign a contract, extract text with OCR, or protect sensitive files.

Screenshots

TextEdit4 screens
SmartPDF4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SmartPDF at every 5 days against TextEdit's every 3 weeks. SmartPDF also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. TextEdit sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SmartPDF sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TextEdit ships an update every 3 weeks, SmartPDF every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
TextEdit versus SmartPDF: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextEditSmartPDF
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.7 (377 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews17.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings377 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size513 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKairoos Solutions SLSergino Elisha A.

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

SmartPDF

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
1 purchases

SmartPDF

One-time1
  • SmartPDF Premium$4.99

Questions

Is TextEdit free?
TextEdit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SmartPDF free?
SmartPDF is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TextEdit or SmartPDF have ads?
Neither TextEdit nor SmartPDF shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TextEdit or SmartPDF?
TextEdit ships an update every 3 weeks, and SmartPDF every 5 days. Most recently, TextEdit was updated on September 25, 2026 and SmartPDF on September 21, 2026.

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