Subtext vs Simple_TextEdit
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
Read full descriptionHide full description
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!
Simple_TextEdit
This app provides a native plain text editing experience for iOS devices. It allows users to open, edit, and save plain text files like .txt, .md, and .json directly from the Files app, offering a streamlined alternative to rich text editors.
- Native plain text editing
- Opens and saves .txt, .md, .json
- Integrates with Files app
- Prettify JSON functionality
- Clipboard integration
- Supports 39 languages
Read full descriptionHide full description
A native plain text editor for iOS. No accounts, no bloat, just text. **WHY NOTES ISN'T ENOUGH** Apple's Notes is rich text. It can't open or write actual plain text files. If you need to edit a .txt, .md, or .json from your Files app, Notes won't open it. **THE SOLUTION** SimpleTextEdit opens any plain text file from Files (iCloud, On My iPhone, third-party providers), edits it, and saves it back. One tap to prettify JSON. One tap to paste from or copy to the clipboard. Simple. Fast. Native. 39 languages.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Simple_TextEdit at 5.0 against Subtext's 4.5. Simple_TextEdit also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 83%). Subtext's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ads (none vs shown). On price 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
Both are free to download. Simple_TextEdit sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Subtext asks for nothing beyond the download.
Simple_TextEdit holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Subtext has 79 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 83% of Subtext's written reviews are positive against 100% of Simple_TextEdit's.
Subtext ships an update every 3 weeks, Simple_TextEdit every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Subtext | Simple_TextEdit |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (79 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 83.2% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 79 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Ad-supported |
| Best chart rank | #78 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.4 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 28 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Charcoal Design | Seung-Un Ham |
Customer experience
Subtext
Simple_TextEdit
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
Simple_TextEdit
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Subtext
No in-app purchases
Simple_TextEdit
- Remove Ads$1.99
Questions
Is Subtext free?
Is Simple_TextEdit free?
Which has better reviews, Subtext or Simple_TextEdit?
Do Subtext or Simple_TextEdit have ads?
Which is updated more often, Subtext or Simple_TextEdit?
Other comparisons
