# GitHub vs Runestone Text Editor

The clearest difference is ratings volume: GitHub at 37K against Runestone Text Editor's 2K. GitHub also leads on chart position (#2 vs #38). Runestone Text Editor's advantage is review sentiment (76% vs 63%) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GitHub sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.8 for GitHub against 4.7 for Runestone Text Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GitHub has 37K ratings behind it against 2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of GitHub's written reviews are positive against 76% of Runestone Text Editor's.

GitHub ships an update weekly, Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | GitHub | Runestone Text Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/github/id1477376905/reviews)** | [4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **37K** | 2K |
| Positive reviews | 63.3% of reviews | **76.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#2** | #38 |
| Size | 175 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 12+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [GitHub](https://appshunter.io/developer/429758986) | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) |

## What reviewers say

### GitHub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/github/id1477376905)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · Developer Tools, #3 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Manage your code projects, review changes, and collaborate with your team on the go. This app allows you to stay updated with notifications, respond to issues, and browse files and code from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Browse notifications, Read, react, and reply to Issues and Pull Requests, Review and merge Pull Requests, Organize Issues with labels and assignees, Browse files and code, Discover trending repositories

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GitHub Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Copilot Pro | $10.00 | per month |
| Copilot Pro+ | $39.99 | per month |
| Copilot Max | $99.00 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app design
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Helpful for on-the-go tasks
- 🚀 Efficient for reviewing PRs and issues

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find features
- 🔍 Lacks key features like code editing and wiki support
- 🔍 Intercepts GitHub links, forcing use of app

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to switch accounts
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating between app and website
- Notifications not always loading correctly
- Inability to view all files in large pull requests
- Crashes when trying to perform certain actions

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple accounts
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Implement code editing and file management
- Integrate GitHub Actions and Insights
- Allow viewing and managing GitHub projects


### Runestone Text Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893)

**Currently charting:** #38 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #45 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful plain text and code editor for iPhone and iPad. Offers syntax highlighting, line numbers, find and replace, and extensive customization options for developers and writers.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting for many languages, Customizable themes and fonts, Advanced find and replace, Line numbers and cursor location, Code formatting with Prettier.js, Multiple windows on iPad

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent text editor
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🎨 Customizable themes and appearance
- 🔒 Secure file storage and sync
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating files/folders
- 📝 Limited functionality without premium
- 🔌 Performance issues on older devices
- 🔒 Difficulty accessing files in cloud storage

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing files
- Difficulty pasting text
- Scroll position not saved
- Hangs on startup
- Trouble opening large files

**Requested features**

- Markdown preview
- Code folding
- Syntax highlighting for more languages
- Ability to run/execute code
- Multiple file/window support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is GitHub free?

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

### Is Runestone Text Editor free?

Runestone Text Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, GitHub or Runestone Text Editor?

GitHub is rated higher. GitHub averages 4.8 out of 5 from 37K ratings, while Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 from 2K ratings.

### Do GitHub or Runestone Text Editor have ads?

Neither GitHub nor Runestone Text Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, GitHub or Runestone Text Editor?

GitHub ships an update weekly, and Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Most recently, GitHub was updated on September 24, 2026 and Runestone Text Editor on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, GitHub or Runestone Text Editor?

GitHub currently peaks at #2 in the App Store charts, and Runestone Text Editor at #38. 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.*