# Runestone Text Editor vs MermaidEditor

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Runestone Text Editor at 76% against MermaidEditor's 14%. Runestone Text Editor also leads on price (Free vs $3.99) and rating (4.7 vs 2.3). MermaidEditor's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Runestone Text Editor is free to download; MermaidEditor costs $3.99 up front. Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. MermaidEditor asks for nothing beyond the download.

Runestone Text Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 2.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Runestone Text Editor has 2K ratings behind it against 10, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Runestone Text Editor's written reviews are positive against 14% of MermaidEditor's.

Runestone Text Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, MermaidEditor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Runestone Text Editor | MermaidEditor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $3.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews)** | [2.3 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mermaideditor/id1581312955/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | **76.0% of reviews** | 13.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | #110 |
| Size | 64 MB | 125 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) | [基伟 徐](https://appshunter.io/developer/391905315) |

## What reviewers say

### Runestone Text Editor

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

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #47 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


### MermaidEditor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mermaideditor/id1581312955)

**Currently charting:** #110 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Create and edit diagrams and charts using mermaid-js syntax with real-time preview. Export your creations as PNG or SVG files and share them across all your Apple devices.

**Highlights:** Mermaid-js syntax highlighting, Code completion, Instant preview, Export to PNG/SVG, Cross-device editing, QuickLook preview extension

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Runestone Text Editor free?

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

### Is MermaidEditor free?

MermaidEditor costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

Runestone Text Editor is rated higher. Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while MermaidEditor averages 2.3 from 10 ratings.

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

Neither Runestone Text Editor nor MermaidEditor shows ads.

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

Runestone Text Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and MermaidEditor every 3 weeks. Most recently, Runestone Text Editor was updated on October 16, 2026 and MermaidEditor on October 13, 2026.

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

Runestone Text Editor currently peaks at #30 in the App Store charts, and MermaidEditor at #110. 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.*