# zWrite vs Lightweight Text Editor

The clearest difference is price: zWrite at Free against Lightweight Text Editor's $2.99. zWrite also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 26 months). Lightweight Text Editor's advantage is rating (4.3 vs 3.0) and review sentiment (84% vs 50%). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

zWrite is free to download; Lightweight Text Editor costs $2.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Lightweight Text Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Lightweight Text Editor has 58 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 50% of zWrite's written reviews are positive against 84% of Lightweight Text Editor's.

zWrite ships an update monthly, Lightweight Text Editor every 26 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and October 11, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | zWrite | Lightweight Text Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $2.99 |
| Rating | [3.0 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zwrite/id1178425269/reviews) | **[4.3 (58 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightweight-text-editor/id1626906348/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 4 | **58** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **83.7% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 26 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 1 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Zack Smith](https://appshunter.io/developer/388860537) | [Erik Wegener](https://appshunter.io/developer/424482392) |

## What reviewers say

### zWrite

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/zwrite/id1178425269)

A straightforward word processor that handles rich text and plain text files. It allows for multiple documents to be open simultaneously, supports various text formatting options, and includes printing capabilities.

**Highlights:** Import/export RTF files, Import plain text files, Import plain HTML files, Multiple documents open, Supports printing, Font and size selection, Text formatting (bold, italic, underline, strikethrough)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


### Lightweight Text Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/lightweight-text-editor/id1626906348)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is zWrite free?

zWrite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Lightweight Text Editor free?

Lightweight Text Editor costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, zWrite or Lightweight Text Editor?

Lightweight Text Editor is rated higher. zWrite averages 3.0 out of 5 from 4 ratings, while Lightweight Text Editor averages 4.3 from 58 ratings.

### Do zWrite or Lightweight Text Editor have ads?

Neither zWrite nor Lightweight Text Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, zWrite or Lightweight Text Editor?

zWrite ships an update monthly, and Lightweight Text Editor every 26 months. Most recently, zWrite was updated on September 29, 2026 and Lightweight Text Editor on October 11, 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.*