# Termius vs Runestone Text Editor

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Termius at 19K against Runestone Text Editor's 2K. Termius also leads on chart position (#4 vs #42). Runestone Text Editor's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Termius sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 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.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Termius against 4.7 for Runestone Text Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Termius has 19K ratings behind it against 2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Termius's written reviews are positive against 76% of Runestone Text Editor's.

Termius ships an update fortnightly, Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Termius | Runestone Text Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908/reviews) | [4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 2K |
| Positive reviews | **81.2% of reviews** | 76.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | #42 |
| Size | 224 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Termius Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/549040051) | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) |

## What reviewers say

### Termius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908)

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #11 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a modern SSH client and terminal for seamless remote access across devices. It offers a desktop-grade terminal experience with advanced features like multi-tab support, custom themes, and saved commands. Securely manage connections and credentials with cloud sync and hardware key authentication.

**Highlights:** SSH, Mosh, Telnet, Port Forwarding, SFTP support, Virtual keyboard with special keys, Multi-tab interface and split-view, Cloud vault for encrypted credentials, Customizable themes and fonts, Saved commands and shell scripts, Hardware FIDO2 key authentication

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Termius Pro Monthly | $15.00 | per month |
| Termius Pro Monthly | $15.00 | per month |
| Termius Pro Annual | $119.00 | per year |
| Termius Pro Annual | $119.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔒 Secure with SSH/SFTP support
- 💡 Useful features like port forwarding
- 👍 Customizable keyboard and themes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤔 Aggressive upselling of premium features

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues causing data loss
- Keyboard and cursor issues on iPad
- Freezing and unresponsiveness after background use

**Requested features**

- Add support for ProxyCommand
- Improve keyboard handling and arrow key functionality
- Implement iCloud sync instead of proprietary cloud
- Provide a one-time purchase option for individual users


### Runestone Text Editor

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

**Currently charting:** #42 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #44 Top Free · 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 Termius free?

Termius 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, Termius or Runestone Text Editor?

Termius and Runestone Text Editor are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 19K and 2K ratings respectively.

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

Neither Termius nor Runestone Text Editor shows ads.

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

Termius ships an update fortnightly, and Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Most recently, Termius was updated on October 13, 2026 and Runestone Text Editor on October 12, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Termius or Runestone Text Editor?

Termius currently peaks at #4 in the App Store charts, and Runestone Text Editor at #42. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*