# Subtext vs IDFA

The clearest difference is price: Subtext at Free against IDFA's $0.99. Subtext also leads on update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 14 months) and chart position (#88 vs unranked). On ads, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Subtext is free to download; IDFA costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Subtext ships an update every 3 weeks, IDFA every 14 months. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Subtext | IDFA |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.5 (79 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/subtext/id1606625287/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **79** | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 14 months |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#88** | — |
| Size | 3 MB | 16 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.4 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Charcoal Design](https://appshunter.io/developer/325046949) | [Francesco Varotti](https://appshunter.io/developer/1501752853) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### IDFA

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/idfa/id1609125369)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Subtext free?

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

### Is IDFA free?

IDFA costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do Subtext or IDFA have ads?

Neither Subtext nor IDFA shows ads.

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

Subtext ships an update every 3 weeks, and IDFA every 14 months. Most recently, Subtext was updated on October 18, 2026 and IDFA on October 5, 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.*