# Runestone Text Editor vs Subtext

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Subtext at none against Runestone Text Editor's 1. Runestone Text Editor's advantage is ratings volume (2K vs 79) and rating (4.7 vs 4.5). On price, review sentiment, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Subtext asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 2K ratings behind it against 79, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Runestone Text Editor's written reviews are positive against 83% of Subtext's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Runestone Text Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, Subtext every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Runestone Text Editor | Subtext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews)** | [4.5 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2K** | 79 |
| Positive reviews | 76.1% of reviews | **83.2% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#44** | #89 |
| Size | 64 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) | [Charcoal Design](https://appshunter.io/developer/325046949) |

## What reviewers say

### Runestone Text Editor

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

**Currently charting:** #44 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #46 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


### Subtext

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287)

**Currently charting:** #89 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A straightforward text editor for iPhone and iPad, allowing direct creation and editing of files within iCloud. It offers advanced controls for line endings and character encoding, ideal for on-the-go code or data file modifications.

**Highlights:** Direct iCloud file editing, No import/export required, Line ending control, Character set encoding control, Quick edits for code and data

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Simple and efficient
- 🚀 Fast and lightweight
- 🆓 Free and no ads
- ✨ Clean and intuitive UI
- 📂 Seamless Files app integration

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Fails on network drives
- 🐛 Data corruption risk
- 🐛 Difficulty unselecting text
- 🐛 Buggy Chinese input method
- 🐛 Random capitalization issues

**Reported bugs**

- Fails to save work
- Jumps to top of document on blank lines
- Poor network behavior leading to data corruption
- Cannot open or create new text files
- Error when saving to network drive

**Requested features**

- Add 'Unselect all' option
- Add 'Replace all' function
- Add font size settings
- Add tab key
- Allow editing of non-text files


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Runestone Text Editor free?

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

### Is Subtext free?

Subtext is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

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

Runestone Text Editor is rated higher. Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2K ratings, while Subtext averages 4.5 from 79 ratings.

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

Neither Runestone Text Editor nor Subtext shows ads.

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

Runestone Text Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and Subtext every 3 weeks. Most recently, Runestone Text Editor was updated on September 23, 2026 and Subtext on September 22, 2026.

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

Runestone Text Editor currently peaks at #44 in the App Store charts, and Subtext at #89. 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.*