# RegEx Lab vs Subtext

The clearest difference is price: Subtext at Free against RegEx Lab's $0.99. RegEx Lab's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and review sentiment (95% vs 83%). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Subtext is free to download; RegEx Lab costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

RegEx Lab holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 172 and 79 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of RegEx Lab's written reviews are positive against 83% of Subtext's.

RegEx Lab ships an update monthly, Subtext every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on September 26, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | RegEx Lab | Subtext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $0.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.8 (172 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/regex-lab-regular-expressions/id1252988123/reviews)** | [4.5 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **172** | 79 |
| Positive reviews | **95.0% of reviews** | 83.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#48** | #85 |
| Size | 5 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 14.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [sovio](https://appshunter.io/developer/1397333570) | [Charcoal Design](https://appshunter.io/developer/325046949) |

## What reviewers say

### RegEx Lab

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/regex-lab-regular-expressions/id1252988123)

**Currently charting:** #48 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app allows users to test and experiment with regular expressions. It offers syntax highlighting, customizable match colors, and a detailed results list. Features include a replace function, dark and light themes, and a helpful cheatsheet for quick reference.

**Highlights:** Regex syntax highlighting, Match and capture group highlighting, Customizable highlight colors, Results list view, Replace feature, Dark and light themes, Regular expression cheatsheet

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Beautifully designed UI
- 🚀 Simple and easy to use
- ⚡ Gets regular expression tasks done quickly
- 💡 Useful offline Regex tool
- 🛠️ Essential text tool for devs and writers

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Files are hidden and not found in Files app
- 🐛 Export option makes a mess
- 🐛 Mac version has no effort put into it
- 🐛 Takes a long time for load screen to go away
- 🐛 'Select this match' option often doesn't work

**Reported bugs**

- iPad's Files app cannot find the app or Regex files
- Export option creates messy files
- Mac version lacks developer effort
- Slow load screen when creating new expressions
- Select this match option is unreliable

**Requested features**

- Make app and Regex files visible in Files app
- Improve export option for Regex files
- Add a button to clear the text window
- Allow simultaneous viewing of text and replacement text
- Add a button to copy and replace text on the previous screen


### Subtext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287)

**Currently charting:** #85 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A straightforward text editor for iPhone and iPad, allowing direct creation and editing of files within iCloud. It offers advanced controls for line endings and character encoding, ideal for on-the-go code or data file modifications.

**Highlights:** Direct iCloud file editing, No import/export required, Line ending control, Character set encoding control, Quick edits for code and data

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and efficient
- 🚀 Fast and lightweight
- 🆓 Free and no ads
- ✨ Clean and intuitive UI
- 📂 Seamless Files app integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Fails on network drives
- 🐛 Data corruption risk
- 🐛 Difficulty unselecting text
- 🐛 Buggy Chinese input method
- 🐛 Random capitalization issues

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to save work
- Jumps to top of document on blank lines
- Poor network behavior leading to data corruption
- Cannot open or create new text files
- Error when saving to network drive

**Requested features**

- Add 'Unselect all' option
- Add 'Replace all' function
- Add font size settings
- Add tab key
- Allow editing of non-text files


## Frequently asked questions

### Is RegEx Lab free?

RegEx Lab costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Subtext free?

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

### Which has better reviews, RegEx Lab or Subtext?

RegEx Lab is rated higher. RegEx Lab averages 4.8 out of 5 from 172 ratings, while Subtext averages 4.5 from 79 ratings.

### Do RegEx Lab or Subtext have ads?

Neither RegEx Lab nor Subtext shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, RegEx Lab or Subtext?

RegEx Lab ships an update monthly, and Subtext every 3 weeks. Most recently, RegEx Lab was updated on September 26, 2026 and Subtext on September 26, 2026.

### Which is more popular, RegEx Lab or Subtext?

RegEx Lab currently peaks at #48 in the App Store charts, and Subtext at #85. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*