# Runestone Text Editor vs Hex Editor

The clearest difference is ads: Runestone Text Editor at none against Hex Editor's shown. Runestone Text Editor also leads on chart position (#30 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). Hex Editor's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 76%). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Hex Editor sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Runestone Text Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, Hex Editor weekly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Runestone Text Editor | Hex Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.1K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **2.1K** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#30** | — |
| Size | 64 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) | [Nirali Kosiya](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866850261) |

## What reviewers say

### Runestone Text Editor

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

**Currently charting:** #30 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #48 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


### Hex Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hex-editor-viewer/id6817794692)

This app provides precise hexadecimal editing and comprehensive binary file analysis tools. It allows users to inspect, search, modify, and save binary data with a suite of integrated utilities for reverse engineering and developer workflows.

**Highlights:** Precise hexadecimal editing, Byte-level searching, File type detection, Metadata inspection, Bit-level examination, Hexadecimal calculations, Data conversion tools, File comparison

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly Hex-Edit | $0.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly Hex-Edit | $2.99 | per month |
| Yearly Hex-Edit | $19.99 | per year |
| Lifetime Hex-Edit | $49.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Runestone Text Editor free?

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

### Is Hex Editor free?

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

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

Hex Editor shows ads; Runestone Text Editor does not.

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

Runestone Text Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and Hex Editor weekly. Most recently, Runestone Text Editor was updated on November 7, 2026 and Hex Editor on November 10, 2026.

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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.*