# Buffer Editor vs Runestone Text Editor

The clearest difference is rating: Runestone Text Editor at 4.7 against Buffer Editor's 3.9. Runestone Text Editor also leads on monetization model (free with in-app purchases vs subscription) and review sentiment (76% vs 56%). Buffer Editor's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 weeks). On price, ads, in-app purchases and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Buffer Editor sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Runestone Text Editor holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 3.9. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Runestone Text Editor has 2K ratings behind it against 157, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 56% of Buffer Editor's written reviews are positive against 76% of Runestone Text Editor's.

Buffer Editor ships an update every 4 days, Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Buffer Editor | Runestone Text Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.9 (157 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-editor-code-editor/id502633252/reviews) | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 157 | **2K** |
| Positive reviews | 56.1% of reviews | **76.1% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | — | **#43** |
| Size | 45 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Blakzero Oy](https://appshunter.io/developer/898876511) | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) |

## What reviewers say

### Buffer Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/buffer-editor-code-editor/id502633252)

A powerful code and text editor for on-the-go development. Connect to various cloud services and Git repositories, with built-in terminal and extensive syntax highlighting. Offers advanced editing features for enhanced productivity.

**Highlights:** Connect to cloud services and Git, Git operations and visual merge tool, Built-in SSH terminal, Extensive syntax highlighting, Live remote file editing, Code autocompletion and snippets

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $34.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great mobile development platform
- 👍 Functional and good editor
- 🚀 Responsive and performant
- 👍 Supports Vim keybindings
- 👍 Customizable themes and fonts

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Git integration issues
- 🐛 Buggy SSH/SFTP/FTP connections
- 🐛 Undo/redo functionality problems
- 🐛 Laggy navigation through directories

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when switching between apps
- Losing work due to save issues
- Incorrect parameter errors when editing files
- Broken Bitbucket/GitHub authentication

**Requested features**

- Integrated terminal/Linux shell
- GitHub/GitLab workflow integration
- Ability to run/compile code
- Better file management options
- More keyboard shortcuts and customization


### Runestone Text Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893)

**Currently charting:** #43 Top Free · Developer Tools, #54 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful plain text and code editor for iPhone and iPad. Offers syntax highlighting, line numbers, find and replace, and extensive customization options for developers and writers.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting for many languages, Customizable themes and fonts, Advanced find and replace, Line numbers and cursor location, Code formatting with Prettier.js, Multiple windows on iPad

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent text editor
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🎨 Customizable themes and appearance
- 🔒 Secure file storage and sync
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating files/folders
- 📝 Limited functionality without premium
- 🔌 Performance issues on older devices
- 🔒 Difficulty accessing files in cloud storage

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing files
- Difficulty pasting text
- Scroll position not saved
- Hangs on startup
- Trouble opening large files

**Requested features**

- Markdown preview
- Code folding
- Syntax highlighting for more languages
- Ability to run/execute code
- Multiple file/window support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Buffer Editor free?

Buffer Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Runestone Text Editor free?

Runestone Text Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Buffer Editor or Runestone Text Editor?

Runestone Text Editor is rated higher. Buffer Editor averages 3.9 out of 5 from 157 ratings, while Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 from 2K ratings.

### Do Buffer Editor or Runestone Text Editor have ads?

Neither Buffer Editor nor Runestone Text Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Buffer Editor or Runestone Text Editor?

Buffer Editor ships an update every 4 days, and Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Most recently, Buffer Editor was updated on September 24, 2026 and Runestone Text Editor on September 23, 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.*