Comparison

Runestone Text Editor vs ChewCode

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

Head to head
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

About

ChewCode

Features
Read full description

ChewCode: Learn Python Coding is the complete pocket bootcamp that teaches you real Python programming through hands‑on tutorials, a mobile code editor, and smart quizzes that actually test your logic. Your Personal Python Tutor, Step by Step New to the Python language? The app’s structured learning path takes you from absolute Python basics – variables, loops, conditionals – all the way to Object‑Oriented Programming. Every Python lesson is short, practical, and instantly shows you how theory becomes real code. - Tap on any line of a code snippet to get a plain‑English explanation – no jargon, no confusion. - Work through real‑world examples that make Python coding feel natural. Built‑In Python Compiler & Code Playground Turn your iPhone into a portable Python mobile app environment. Write scripts, run them immediately, and debug on the fly. Use it as a sandbox to experiment with Python libraries you’re learning about, or just fire up a quick coding exercise when inspiration hits. - Full editor with syntax support and fast execution. - Perfect for completing daily coding exercises or testing out Python code snippets from lessons. Quizzes, Challenges & Interview Prep After each chapter, lock in your knowledge with a Python quiz that’s more than just multiple choice – expect Bug Fixes, Predict Output, Write Code, and Fill‑in‑the‑Blanks. - Tackle Python questions and answers that mirror real technical interviews. - Build your confidence for Python interview questions by solving problems recruiters actually care about. Python Discover Portal: Your Gateway to the Dev World Go beyond the tutorials and tap into the global Python ecosystem. Unlock 7 premium resource categories: - Conferences & Events – Major tech summits and Python conferences - Meetups & User Groups – Virtual and local developer meetups - Workshops & Seminars – Bootcamps and training to build in‑demand skills - Hackathons – Live coding hackathons sorted by registration deadline - Trending Python Packages – Hot open‑source Python libraries and frameworks - Open Source Contributions – Where and how to contribute to real projects - Competitions – Algorithmic programming contests and challenges Once you’re comfortable with the fundamentals, dive into curated resources for Python data science and Python machine learning. Explore trending Python libraries and start building projects that matter. Your Developer Profile & Resume Create a digital resume inside the app. Add your GitHub, LinkedIn, StackOverflow, X profile, and personal website, then write a bio that highlights your Python programming skills. Use the Leaderboard to connect with other learners – tap any profile to see their developer card and grow your network. Why Join ChewCode? This isn’t just a Python tutorial app. It’s a complete Python training course combined with a coding sandbox and a career‑launching community. Whether you’re preparing for an interview, learning Python 3 from scratch, or looking for a Python for beginners guide that actually fits your life – you’ve found it. Download now and write your first Python program today.

Screenshots

Runestone Text Editor4 screens
ChewCode4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ChewCode at none against Runestone Text Editor's 1. ChewCode also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Runestone Text Editor's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#44 vs unranked). On price and device support 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. Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. ChewCode asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Runestone Text Editor versus ChewCode: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRunestone Text EditorChewCode
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (2K ratings) — better—
Positive reviews76.1% of reviews—
Number of ratings2K — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks—
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
Best chart rank#44 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.013.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size64 MB57 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon B. StøvringSEEK YOUR WAY OUT

Bugs and requests

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

ChewCode

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Runestone Text Editor

One-time1
  • Premium$9.99
None

ChewCode

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Runestone Text Editor free?
Runestone Text Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ChewCode free?
ChewCode is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Runestone Text Editor or ChewCode have ads?
ChewCode shows ads; Runestone Text Editor does not.

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