# Thermals vs Subtext

The clearest difference is update cadence: Subtext at every 3 weeks against Thermals's every 3 months. Subtext also leads on iOS requirement (14.4 vs 18.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Thermals against 4.5 for Subtext. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 28 and 79 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 83% and 83% positive.

Thermals ships an update every 3 months, Subtext every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Thermals | Subtext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (28 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermals/id1567050762/reviews) | [4.5 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 28 | **79** |
| Positive reviews | **83.3% of reviews** | 83.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #150 | **#88** |
| Size | 3 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.6 | **14.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [George Garside](https://appshunter.io/developer/815604170) | [Charcoal Design](https://appshunter.io/developer/325046949) |

## What reviewers say

### Thermals

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/thermals/id1567050762)

**Currently charting:** #150 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Monitor your device's thermal state and processor activity to diagnose performance issues. Understand why your phone might be running slowly, charging slowly, or have reduced brightness due to overheating. Export data for further analysis with other development tools.

**Highlights:** Displays device thermal state, Shows active processor count, Monitors device uptime, Troubleshoots performance issues, Helps diagnose slow charging, Identifies brightness limitations, Exports raw data for analysis

**Features:** Apple Watch app

**In-app purchases:** none


### Subtext

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

**Currently charting:** #88 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 Thermals free?

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

### Is Subtext free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Thermals or Subtext?

Thermals and Subtext are both rated 4.5 out of 5 on the App Store, from 28 and 79 ratings respectively.

### Do Thermals or Subtext have ads?

Neither Thermals nor Subtext shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Thermals or Subtext?

Thermals ships an update every 3 months, and Subtext every 3 weeks. Most recently, Thermals was updated on October 14, 2026 and Subtext on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Thermals or Subtext?

Thermals currently peaks at #150 in the App Store charts, and Subtext at #88. 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.*