# SmartBFA vs Subtext

The clearest difference is chart position: Subtext at #95 against SmartBFA's unranked. Subtext also leads on device support (4 vs 2). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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

SmartBFA ships an update monthly, Subtext every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SmartBFA | Subtext |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | **[4.5 (86 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | — | **86** |
| Positive reviews | — | 83.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Best chart rank | — | **#95** |
| Size | 63 MB | 3 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Song Wei Kong](https://appshunter.io/developer/1493185088) | [Charcoal Design](https://appshunter.io/developer/325046949) |

## What reviewers say

### SmartBFA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/smartbfa/id1585853442)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


### Subtext

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

**Currently charting:** #95 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 SmartBFA free?

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

### Is Subtext free?

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

### Do SmartBFA or Subtext have ads?

Neither SmartBFA nor Subtext shows ads.

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

SmartBFA ships an update monthly, and Subtext every 3 weeks. Most recently, SmartBFA was updated on October 25, 2026 and Subtext on October 30, 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.*