# Text Editor vs Runestone Text Editor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Runestone Text Editor at 76% against Text Editor's 27%. Runestone Text Editor also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and device support (4 vs 2). Text Editor's advantage is update cadence (daily vs every 2 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Text Editor sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days and Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Runestone Text Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 4.4K and 2.1K respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 27% of Text Editor's written reviews are positive against 76% of Runestone Text Editor's.

Text Editor ships an update daily, Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on November 7, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Text Editor | Runestone Text Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (4.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-editor-txt-and-html-viewer/id1483790257/reviews) | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **4.4K** | 2.1K |
| Positive reviews | 27.3% of reviews | **76.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Daily** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#22** | #40 |
| Size | 23 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TAPUNIVERSE LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462862671) | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) |

## What reviewers say

### Text Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/text-editor-txt-and-html-viewer/id1483790257)

**Currently charting:** #22 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #56 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Edit text files directly on your device or sync with cloud storage. Supports various file types and offers rich text editing with multiple tab support. An optional subscription unlocks advanced features like dark mode.

**Highlights:** Browse and edit text files, Cloud storage integration (iCloud, Google Drive, Box), Supports TXT, RTF, HTML, CSS, JS, Rich Text editing, Multiple file tabs, File sharing, Dark Mode support

**Features:** Vision Pro support, iPhone Duo support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Text Editor+ | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Text Editor+ | $9.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great for direct editing
- 👍 Wonderful for writing
- 👍 Smooth and modern
- 👍 Reads and edits well

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription
- 🔒 Locks access to files
- 🔒 Requires subscription to use
- 🐛 Crashes when opening files
- 🐛 Inconsistent file saving

**Reported bugs**

- Dark mode not working properly
- Deletes unsaved work
- Crashes the Files app

**Requested features**

- Horizontal text scrolling
- Free version with no limitations
- One-time purchase option


### Runestone Text Editor

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

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Free · Developer Tools, #54 Top Grossing · 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 Text Editor free?

Text Editor 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, Text Editor or Runestone Text Editor?

Runestone Text Editor is rated higher. Text Editor averages 4.4 out of 5 from 4.4K ratings, while Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.

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

Neither Text Editor nor Runestone Text Editor shows ads.

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

Text Editor ships an update daily, and Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Most recently, Text Editor was updated on November 7, 2026 and Runestone Text Editor on November 7, 2026.

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

Text Editor currently peaks at #22 in the App Store charts, and Runestone Text Editor at #40. 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.*