GTW vs StrataRead
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
GTW
A plain text and Markdown editor optimized for fast editing of local and remote files. Supports cloud storage, FTP, SFTP, and offers advanced features like syntax highlighting, snippets, and markdown preview.
- Edit local and remote files (Dropbox, OneDrive, FTP, SFTP)
- Markdown preview, convert, and export (PDF, DOCX, HTML)
- Syntax highlighting for popular coding languages
- Snippets with placeholder support
- Focus Mode for distraction-free editing
- External keyboard and iPad Pro support
Read full descriptionHide full description
Gogo's Type Writer is a plain Text and Markdown Editor. It is optimized for fast opening and editing local and remote files (Dropbox, OneDrive, FTP, SFTP/SSH) on your iOS Device. FEATURES: ------------------------------ • Universal App (use it on your iPad, iPhone & iPod Touch) • No in app purchases / no subscriptions • Full iPad Pro support (including smart keyboard support, shortcut, split-screen multitasking) • Extra keybar with swipe functions and trackball to precisely move the cursor and select text • Find and Replace support (incl. Regex find pattern) • Different themes and adjustable font-sizes • NEW! Focus Mode / fade out alle other lines and keep focused • Import / export / open files from iCloud Drive and other file providers • Snippets -- use short fragments of text again and again ( with filed and placeholders support ) • Markdown Preview, Convert & Export ( PDF / DOCX / HTML Export ) • Preview Browser (for images / websites) • Connect to your servers via SFTP, FTP, ONEDRIVE or DROPBOX New with OneDrive 365 and OneDrive for Business support • Upload and Download files/folders • Very fast reconnect and recover of open files after restart • Live editing - edit files directly on your Server/Dropbox/Onedrive without download • Supporting features like textselection by cursor, Splitview, Slide-Over and Drag & Drop • 3D Touch support - Show/move cursor by 3D touch the keyboard • Taptic Feedback ( on devices with Taptic Engine ) • External/Bluetooth keyboard support ( all iOS shot-cut keys are supported + lots of shortcuts available ) • Syntax highlighting for the most popular coding languages / also in Markdown codeblocks (css, fortran, html, javascript, latex, mathematica, markdown, orgmode, perl, php, python, sql, xml, yaml)
StrataRead
Read full descriptionHide full description
StrataRead is a research library and PDF reader for people who read closely, collect evidence, and write with sources. Bring your papers, books, and reports into an organized workspace. Search your library, highlight important passages, capture notes, and carry your research into your writing without losing its connection to the original source. READ AND ANNOTATE • Read PDFs with native rendering, zooming, and navigation. • Highlight passages with color-coded annotations. • Attach notes to the text you are reading. • Review source information, notes, and extracts in the Inspector. FIND INFORMATION ACROSS YOUR LIBRARY • Search indexed PDF text as well as bibliographic metadata. • Narrow searches by fields such as author, title, and year. • Use quoted phrases and search-field autocomplete. • Filter notes and extracts to focus on passages matching your search. • Find and open sources through Spotlight and supported Siri and Shortcuts actions. KEEP YOUR RESEARCH ORGANIZED • Browse your sources in Library and return to recent reading. • Organize sources with projects, keywords, and reading status. • Explore projects, keywords, and source groups through the Library Map. • On iPad, sort table columns and preview notes and extracts without opening each PDF. • On iPhone, use a streamlined reading workspace with essential controls within reach. CAPTURE AND REUSE YOUR NOTES • Collect highlighted text and notes as source-linked extracts. • Clean up common PDF text issues, including broken lines and hyphenation. • Export notes and extracts as structured Markdown with citation information. • Create a separate Markdown file for each source. • Bring your research into StrataWrite, Obsidian, and other writing or knowledge-management tools. BUILD BETTER REFERENCES • Find bibliographic information using DOI, title, author, or ISBN. • Manage details for journal articles, books, edited volumes, chapters, theses, dissertations, reports, and webpages. • Copy formatted citations in supported styles, including APA and Chicago. • Identify records with missing metadata and PDFs needing attention. • Find open-access replacement PDFs when available. KEEP YOUR LIBRARY WITH YOU • Synchronize library records, notes, and PDFs through iCloud. • Keep downloaded PDFs available for offline reading. • Share PDFs and export your notes when it is time to collaborate or write. PRIVACY AND CONTROL Your PDFs and notes remain in your library, with iCloud synchronization available across your devices. Full-text search indexes stay on your device. Metadata lookups use online bibliographic services. StrataRead contains no advertising, tracking, or developer analytics. Privacy & AI settings explain how the app handles your information. Built for researchers, students, educators, and anyone who wants to turn careful reading into useful, well-organized knowledge.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: GTW at $5.99 against StrataRead's $9.99. GTW also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, 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
GTW costs $5.99 and StrataRead $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | GTW | StrataRead |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $5.99 — better | $9.99 |
| Rating | 3.1 (32 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 55.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 32 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 11.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 53 MB | 22 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Christoph Gogolin | Stance Hurst |
In-app purchases
GTW
No in-app purchases
StrataRead
No in-app purchases









