Comparison

Swifty Compiler vs Runestone Text Editor

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Swifty Compiler

Write, run, and experiment with Swift code on your mobile device. This app functions as a personal playground for testing algorithms, prototyping ideas, and enhancing coding skills with a variety of editing tools.

Highlights
  • Write and run Swift code
  • Import Swift and Playground files
  • Code completion and error highlighting
  • Code formatting and syntax correction
  • Code snapshots (PNG, JPEG, PDF)
  • Dark and light mode support
  • Unlimited credits (Premium)
Features
Read full description

Write and run Swift code effortlessly, anywhere and anytime. Swifty Compiler is the perfect tool to test algorithms, prototype ideas, or experiment with Swift code on the go. Use it as your personal playground to explore concepts and improve your coding skills. Free Features: • Daily credits⁽¹⁾: 10 credits per day • Import Swift files • Open Playground files and import their Swift files • Share Swift files, Playground files, or text directly to the app • Code Snapshot (PNG, JPEG, HEIC, or PDF) • Adjustable font size and line spacing • Auto-indentation • Code completion suggestions • Auto-closing brackets and quotes • Error highlighting • Bracket and line highlighting • Code block selection • Cursor position indicator • Code snippets • Extra keyboard buttons • Comment/uncomment selection • Markdown comments • Duplicate code • Move line up/down • Indent/Outdent (Shift right/left) • Jump to line or selection • Keyboard shortcuts • Multitasking support on iPad • Dark and light mode support • Share extension support • No ads Premium Features: • Unlimited credits⁽¹⁾ • Share as Swift file • Save Swift files to the Files app (iCloud or local storage) • Auto-save last input • Unlimited Undo/Redo • Code formatting • Add documentation • Syntax correction • Optical Character Recognition (OCR) • Abstract Syntax Tree (AST) • Multiple Swift versions • Font pack • Show invisible characters • Create/Edit custom snippets • Create/Edit custom keyboard buttons • No watermark on code snapshots 1. 1 Credit = 1 Code Execution Feel free to reach us out if have any suggestions or ideas. - Email: taleb.apps@gmail.com - X: @hassantaleb90 - Telegram: @hassantaleb If you enjoy Swifty Compiler, please leave a review to support us!

About

Runestone Text Editor

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
Read full description

A plain text editor with syntax highlighting, line numbers, search and replace, page guide, and much more. It's like TextEdit but more powerful and optimised for iPhone and iPad. Runestone is made by a single person with a love for text editors and a vision of building the most lightweight text editor for iPhone and iPad that still has the core features for editing code. Features: - Syntax highlighting of many languages including HTML, JavaScript, JSON, Markdown, Swift, Python, PHP, YAML, and many more. - Select one of the twelve standard themes including popular themes like Tomorrow, Dracula, Solarized, and One Dark Pro. - Innovative find and replace for searching and modifying text while still viewing your file. - Choose font and font size, including support for custom fonts imported using another third-party app. - Show the line and column the cursor is located on. - Uses the standard document browser for an experience similar to the Files app. - Quickly navigate to a specific line. - Automatically close opening brackets and quotes. - Multiple windows on the iPad. - Format code using Prettier.js. Supported languages include CSS,HTML, JavaScript, JSON, PHP and more. - Choose text encoding between popular encodings like UTF-8, UTF-16, ISO Latin 1, and many more. - Enable or disable autocorrection, autocapitalization, and smart punctuation. - Set default file extension of new files. - Open files in Runestone from the Share Sheet. - Print documents. Premium features: - Choose between eight app icons. - Show line numbers. - Highlight the selected line. - Increase line height and letter spacing. - Disable line wrapping to allow horizontal scrolling. - Show tabs, spaces, and line breaks using a selected symbol. - Enable page guide at a specific column to easily tell when lines are getting too long. - Add vertical and horizontal overscroll. - Remember the selected language per file. - Save file extensions and filenames that should always be treated as plain text files. - Enable soft tabs and choose the width of the tab character. - Specify whether pressing the tab key should insert a tab or indent the line. - Adjust the scaling of Markdown headings and disable highlighting of code blocks in Markdown. Runestone was built on the open-source framework with the same name. Find more information on the Runestone framework at github.com/simonbs/runestone

Screenshots

Swifty Compiler4 screens
Runestone Text Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Runestone Text Editor at 4.7 against Swifty Compiler's 4.5. Runestone Text Editor also leads on ratings volume (2.1K vs 203) and device support (4 vs 2). Swifty Compiler's advantage is review sentiment (84% vs 76%). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Swifty Compiler sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 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.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Runestone Text Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Runestone Text Editor has 2.1K ratings behind it against 203, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 84% of Swifty Compiler's written reviews are positive against 76% of Runestone Text Editor's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Swifty Compiler ships an update fortnightly, Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on October 25, 2026.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Swifty Compiler versus Runestone Text Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSwifty CompilerRunestone Text Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (203 ratings)4.7 (2.1K ratings) — better
Positive reviews84.3% of reviews — better76.0% of reviews
Number of ratings2032.1K — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#69#23 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS16.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size70 MB64 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHassan TalebSimon B. Støvring

Customer experience

Swifty Compiler

All ratings194 ratings
Positive84.5%
Neutral4.6%
Negative10.8%
Written reviews89 reviews
Positive84.3%
Neutral7.9%
Negative7.9%

Runestone Text Editor

All ratings1,962 ratings
Positive93.5%
Neutral2.3%
Negative4.1%
Written reviews363 reviews
Positive76.0%
Neutral9.6%
Negative14.3%

User reviews

Swifty Compiler

From 203 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Fast code execution
  • 👍 Easy to use interface
  • 💡 Great for on-the-go coding
  • ✨ Good for learning Swift
  • ✅ Useful for testing logic

Room to improve

  • 💰 High cost for features
  • ⚠️ Limited free usage
  • 💸 Subscription model criticized
  • 🚫 No offline mode
  • 🤔 Unreasonable charging logic

Runestone Text Editor

From 2.1K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Swifty Compiler

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Refund screenshots are not correct
  • Kept loading without doing anything
  • Issues related to JSON parsing
  • Cannot save projects without paying
  • Cannot use Date or Calendar as types
Show 5 more
  • Misleading screenshots about Swift version
  • Cannot overwrite files in iCloud
  • Console does not print anything
  • Limited code execution per day
  • Cannot call a function before it's created

Requested features

18 requests
  • Support for newer Swift versions
  • Ability to import projects online
  • Cache 'premium' pop-up
  • Support multithreading (GCD)
  • Fix console printing bug
Show 13 more
  • Ability to add frameworks
  • Support for SwiftUI
  • Offline mode support
  • Autofill feature
  • Highlighting lines with warnings/errors
  • Show which compiler is used
  • Ability to change Swift version without paying
  • More than one Swift version option
  • Import own fonts
  • Call basic modules like SwiftUI
  • Use input and output as command tool
  • Overwrite existing files in iCloud
  • Korean language version

Runestone Text Editor

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • Disappearing files
  • Difficulty pasting text
  • Scroll position not saved
  • Hangs on startup
  • Trouble opening large files
Show 1 more
  • Issues after iOS updates

Requested features

6 requests
  • Markdown preview
  • Code folding
  • Syntax highlighting for more languages
  • Ability to run/execute code
  • Multiple file/window support
Show 1 more
  • Improved undo/redo functionality

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Swifty Compiler

Subscriptions3
  • Premium Weekly Subscription$4.997 Days
  • Premium Monthly Subscription$12.991 Month
  • Premium Yearly Subscription$79.991 Year
One-time1
  • Premium Lifetime$99.00
1 purchases

Runestone Text Editor

One-time1
  • Premium$9.99

Questions

Is Swifty Compiler free?
Swifty Compiler 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, Swifty Compiler or Runestone Text Editor?
Runestone Text Editor is rated higher. Swifty Compiler averages 4.5 out of 5 from 203 ratings, while Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 from 2.1K ratings.
Do Swifty Compiler or Runestone Text Editor have ads?
Neither Swifty Compiler nor Runestone Text Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Swifty Compiler or Runestone Text Editor?
Swifty Compiler ships an update fortnightly, and Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Most recently, Swifty Compiler was updated on October 25, 2026 and Runestone Text Editor on October 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, Swifty Compiler or Runestone Text Editor?
Swifty Compiler currently peaks at #69 in the App Store charts, and Runestone Text Editor at #23. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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