Subtext vs Search Ops
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Subtext
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.
- Direct iCloud file editing
- No import/export required
- Line ending control
- Character set encoding control
- Quick edits for code and data
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Subtext is a simple, no-frills text editor for iPhone and iPad. Create or edit files directly on your device or in iCloud, with no need to import or export. Includes advanced features such as line ending and character set encoding control. Perfect for making quick edits to code or data files on the go!
Search Ops
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Query ElasticSearch and OpenSearch databases * Free text strings, using compounds (AND/OR) and Date Ranges * View results as documents or in a table * Easily switch between hosts, indexes and filter on mapped data types Support ElasticSearch (v6.0 and above) and OpenSearch (v1.0 and above) * /_mapping * /_search * /_aliases Authentication: * Connection using a CloudID from Elastic.co or a direct host connection * Authenticate with Username/Password, Auth Token, API Token or API Key * Readonly access only. Requires a user with Viewer and Monitoring Role Privacy & Transparency: * Open Source business logic on Github * No tracking or analytics * Uses a local on device database (Realm) with encryption on Settings * Request Logs * Request Timeout * Max Document Size * Light / Dark Mode
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Subtext at Free against Search Ops's $4.99. Subtext also leads on chart position (#89 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (14.4 vs 16.6). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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
Subtext is free to download; Search Ops costs $4.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Subtext ships an update every 3 weeks, Search Ops every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Subtext | Search Ops |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free — better | $4.99 |
| Rating | 4.5 (79 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 83.2% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 79 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | Every 2 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | #89 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 14.4 — better | 16.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 18 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charcoal Design | Ryan McCaffery |
Bugs and requests
Subtext
Reported bugs
11 issues- 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
Show 6 moreShow fewer
- Cannot edit .tex files without renaming
- Chinese input method errors
- Random capitalization after paste
- Large text files cause errors
- File saving issues, creates extra copies
- Bug when using Chinese input method with delete key
Requested features
20 requests- Add 'Unselect all' option
- Add 'Replace all' function
- Add font size settings
- Add tab key
- Allow editing of non-text files
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Improve network drive handling
- Option to disable auto-save
- Add highlighter
- Add character count
- Add JetBrains Mono font
- Add 'reopen last file' option
- Add widget support
- Add highlighting
- Add font and background color settings
- Add distraction-free mode
- Add swipe to close gesture
- Option to release focus for collapsing skb
- Fix Chinese input method bugs
- Allow editing of files with arbitrary extensions
- Add Chinese input method bug fixes
Search Ops
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Subtext
No in-app purchases
Search Ops
No in-app purchases
