Comparison

Subtext vs socket

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • Direct iCloud file editing
  • No import/export required
  • Line ending control
  • Character set encoding control
  • Quick edits for code and data
Read 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!

About

socket

A modern, native SSH and SFTP client for iOS and iPadOS. It offers secure connections, a real interactive terminal with customizable options, and efficient file transfer capabilities. Includes network diagnostic tools and is built with privacy in mind.

Highlights
  • Secure SSH and SFTP connections
  • Interactive terminal with ANSI color
  • Concurrent file transfer queue
  • Quick commands and history
  • On-device SSH key generation
  • Network diagnostics (ping, DNS, traceroute)
  • Private by design, no account needed
Features
Read full description

socket is a modern, native ssh and sftp client built for ios and ipados, designed to feel like a real apple app rather than an admin tool bolted onto a phone screen. connect add your servers once, then connect in a tap. password or key-based authentication, per-host folders and favorites, and real host key verification keep every connection secure. real terminal a genuine interactive terminal with proper ansi colour support, adjustable fonts and cursor styles, and multiple themes. run several sessions at once across different servers and switch between them instantly, each one staying connected in the background. sftp, done properly browse remote files, create folders, rename and delete, and transfer multiple files at once with a real concurrent transfer queue, not a fake one-at-a-time spinner. quick commands & history save frequently used commands per host and run them in a single tap. socket also remembers what you've typed, so recalling and rerunning a recent command takes seconds. ssh keys, handled right generate real ed25519 keys on-device, see their actual fingerprints, and manage them without ever touching a config file. everything sensitive lives in the ios keychain. network diagnostics ping, dns lookup, traceroute, port checking, an http inspector, a real speed test, and ip info tools, all built in and running natively. no ads, no gimmicks. private by design socket works entirely without an account. nothing you configure is ever sent to us, because we don't operate any servers your data passes through. lock the app with face id or touch id for extra peace of mind. built entirely in native swiftui for ios 18 and later, with full support for light and dark mode, dynamic type, and apple's latest design language.

Screenshots

Subtext4 screens
socket4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: socket at 100% against Subtext's 82%. Subtext's advantage is chart position (#109 vs unranked) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

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

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Subtext versus socket: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSubtextsocket
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (89 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews82.2% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings89 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#109 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.4 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperCharcoal DesignHammad Ally

Customer experience

Subtext

All ratings89 ratings
Positive84.3%
Neutral9.0%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews101 reviews
Positive82.2%
Neutral9.9%
Negative7.9%

socket

Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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 more
  • 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 more
  • 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

socket

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Subtext

No in-app purchases

None

socket

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Subtext free?
Subtext is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is socket free?
socket is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Subtext or socket have ads?
Neither Subtext nor socket shows ads.

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