# TextEdit vs Kept Notes

The clearest difference is price: TextEdit at Free against Kept Notes's $3.99. TextEdit also leads on rating (3.7 vs 2.8) and ratings volume (378 vs 4). Kept Notes's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and review sentiment (50% vs 17%). On update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

TextEdit is free to download; Kept Notes costs $3.99 up front. TextEdit sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Kept Notes asks for nothing beyond the download.

TextEdit holds the better App Store score, 3.7 against 2.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: TextEdit has 378 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 17% of TextEdit's written reviews are positive against 50% of Kept Notes's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | TextEdit | Kept Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[3.7 (378 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textedit-text-editor/id1070883678/reviews)** | [2.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kept-notes/id6768974473/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **378** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 17.3% of reviews | **50.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Weekly | Weekly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Size | 509 MB | 8 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Kairoos Solutions SL](https://appshunter.io/developer/978066434) | [Eric Gillis](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896620091) |

## What reviewers say

### TextEdit

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textedit-text-editor/id1070883678)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TextEdit+ Unlock AI Assistant | $4.99 | per month |
| TextEdit+ Unlock AI Assistant | $29.99 | per year |
| TextEdit+ Full Unlock | $24.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 📝 Simple and clean text editor
- 🔗 Integrates well with iCloud
- 👍 Useful for basic document editing

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Requires subscription for full functionality
- 🔒 Locks users out of previously purchased content
- 🚫 Prevents access to app without subscription
- 🤖 Forced AI integration that users don't want

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when opening certain file types
- Formatting issues when copying/pasting text
- Inconsistent behavior across devices

**Requested features**

- Allow users to choose iCloud directory
- Offer one-time purchase option instead of subscription
- Restore previous paid versions without AI


### Kept Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kept-notes/id6768974473)

Capture thoughts, create checklists, and manage files with a private, self-hosted notes app. Enjoy smart capture powered by local AI and organize with labels and reminders. Your data stays yours.

**Highlights:** Self-hosted data control, Apple Intelligence-powered Smart Capture, Create text, image, and drawing notes, Organize with labels and colors, Set reminders, Import/Export notes, File attachments

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is TextEdit free?

TextEdit is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Kept Notes free?

Kept Notes costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, TextEdit or Kept Notes?

TextEdit is rated higher. TextEdit averages 3.7 out of 5 from 378 ratings, while Kept Notes averages 2.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do TextEdit or Kept Notes have ads?

Neither TextEdit nor Kept Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, TextEdit or Kept Notes?

TextEdit ships an update weekly, and Kept Notes weekly. Most recently, TextEdit was updated on October 4, 2026 and Kept Notes on October 5, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*