Comparison

Plain Text Editor vs Clipbud

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

Head to head
About

Plain Text Editor

A minimalist text editor focused on pure writing without any formatting options. It allows editing of standard plain text files and includes features like word count and a unique 'brain dump' mode for focused writing.

Highlights
  • No formatting, just text
  • Edit .txt, .csv, .md files
  • Optimal line spacing
  • Word count
  • Brain dump mode
Features
Read full description

Simple distraction-free text editor without any rich text nonsense. The simplicity is a feature. ■ Highlights - No formatting. Just text. - Edit any plain text file like .txt, .csv, .md, etc - Optimal line spacing and length - Word count - Brain dump mode ■ Known issues The app does not have the ability to print because of iOS limitations. Brain dump mode does not work properly with some Asian languages. ■ Brain dump mode Lets you only write, but not delete or edit. This helps you focus on the actual writing instead of getting distracted with editing and nitpicking. ■ FAQ ‣ Can you add a typewriter mode (centered text)? I don't plan to add that. ‣ Does it handle huge files? No. The app is optimized for writing. Use a proper code editor for such files. ■ Support You can contact me through the feedback button in the app.

About

Clipbud

This app provides a simple and private space to store and quickly access frequently copied text snippets. Easily find and paste common phrases, notes, or information with a tap, keeping your most used text readily available.

Highlights
  • Store and access copied text snippets
  • Quickly paste text with a tap
  • Search for specific snippets
  • View recently copied items
  • Customizable clipboard access settings
  • Private data storage on device
Read full description

A delightfully simple space for those text snippets you copy and paste a bunch. We've all got those things we keep copy and pasting from notes. Insta hashtags, the pancake recipe your friends always ask about, meaningful quotes, top 10 lists, and so on. Clipbud makes finding and copying any of those a breeze. Simply open the app, tap on the one you want, and it's on your clipboard ready to be shared. COPYING IS A BREEZE Clipbud puts any text you add to the app a tap away. There's no limit to the length of the snippet either. Paragraphs and line breaks are kept for readability. SEARCH IS EASY Clipbud's search makes finding whatever you need lightning fast. RECENTS Clipbud has a row for things you've copied recently, making finding them again even easier. FINE-GRAIN CLIPBOARD SETTINGS By default Clipbud will only read your clipboard when you press tap the "Paste" button. You can change how and when Clipbud accesses your clipboard in Settings. Clipbud can only access your clipboard while using the app, and nothing is stored unless you say so. DELIGHTFUL INTERFACE Sounds, haptics, and fun patterns that move with your device means there's a lot to enjoy when using Clipbud. TRULY PRIVATE All data is stored on your device and backed up to your iCloud account. No one else has access to it. There are no ads, trackers, or third-party APIs of any sort.

Screenshots

Plain Text Editor3 screens
Clipbud4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Clipbud at Free against Plain Text Editor's $5.00. Clipbud also leads on ratings volume (55 vs 11) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). Plain Text Editor's advantage is review sentiment (93% vs 80%) and chart position (#117 vs unranked). On rating, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Clipbud is free to download; Plain Text Editor costs $5.00 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Clipbud holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Clipbud has 55 ratings behind it against 11, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 93% of Plain Text Editor's written reviews are positive against 80% of Clipbud's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 27, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Plain Text Editor versus Clipbud: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPlain Text EditorClipbud
Price$5.00Free — better
Rating4.5 (11 ratings)4.7 (55 ratings) — better
Positive reviews93.1% of reviews — better80.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1155 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#117 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.017.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB8 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSindre SorhusAdam Whitcroft

Customer experience

Plain Text Editor

All ratings9 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral0.0%
Negative11.1%
Written reviews87 reviews
Positive93.1%
Neutral1.1%
Negative5.7%

Clipbud

All ratings45 ratings
Positive88.9%
Neutral8.9%
Negative2.2%
Written reviews15 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Plain Text Editor

No in-app purchases

None

Clipbud

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Plain Text Editor free?
Plain Text Editor costs $5.00, with no in-app purchases.
Is Clipbud free?
Clipbud is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Plain Text Editor or Clipbud?
Clipbud is rated higher. Plain Text Editor averages 4.5 out of 5 from 11 ratings, while Clipbud averages 4.7 from 55 ratings.
Do Plain Text Editor or Clipbud have ads?
Neither Plain Text Editor nor Clipbud shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Plain Text Editor or Clipbud?
Plain Text Editor ships an update every 2 months, and Clipbud every 2 months. Most recently, Plain Text Editor was updated on October 27, 2026 and Clipbud on October 21, 2026.

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