# Simpletext vs STE

The clearest difference is price: STE at $0.99 against Simpletext's $14.99. STE also leads on update cadence (every 6 weeks vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Simpletext's advantage is chart position (#169 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Simpletext costs $14.99 and STE $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Simpletext ships an update every 3 months, STE every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Simpletext | STE |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $14.99 | **$0.99** |
| Rating | **[4.1 (23 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simpletext/id1319340670/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **23** | — |
| Positive reviews | 73.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 6 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#169** | — |
| Size | 4 MB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Yeow Jin Gan](https://appshunter.io/developer/1241352692) | [Huy Dao](https://appshunter.io/developer/1639630927) |

## What reviewers say

### Simpletext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simpletext/id1319340670)

**Currently charting:** #169 Top Paid · Productivity (US App Store)

This app offers a minimalist writing experience, focusing solely on plain text. It provides a distraction-free environment with beautiful typography and native performance across Apple devices. Ideal for those who want to concentrate on their words without unnecessary features.

**Highlights:** Zero clutter interface, Beautiful typography with professional fonts, Plain text only support, Fully native Apple app, Supports custom fonts

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### STE

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ste-simple-text-editor/id6466298266)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Simpletext free?

Simpletext costs $14.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is STE free?

STE costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Simpletext or STE have ads?

Neither Simpletext nor STE shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Simpletext or STE?

Simpletext ships an update every 3 months, and STE every 6 weeks. Most recently, Simpletext was updated on September 22, 2026 and STE on September 17, 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.*