Comparison

Deskless vs Neon Vision Editor

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

Head to head
About

Deskless

Features
Read full description

Native by design. Updated for iOS 27. Deskless is a code editor, Git client, and AI coding assistant built for iPhone and iPad. Open real projects, make changes, run local code, and manage repositories from your device. AI THAT WORKS YOUR WAY • Give cloud Agent Mode a goal: it explores your project, edits a private draft, runs your project's checks on the device and presents a multi-file patch for review—requires Deskless Pro and your own provider API key • Resume saved agent tasks, optionally on their own Git branch; when iOS allows it, a task you start keeps working after you switch apps • Follow agent progress through Live Activities and Dynamic Island • Use free on-device Apple Intelligence for quick coding help on supported devices—no API key required • Try the beta Offline Agent for reviewed, locally checked project edits on supported devices with Apple Intelligence enabled and its model downloaded • With Pro, connect OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI or OpenRouter using your own key • Provider access and usage charges apply EDIT AND NAVIGATE • Syntax highlighting for 57 languages, language detection and custom file associations • EditorConfig indentation, language-aware comments, code folding and multiple cursors • Inline completions, diagnostics and a Problems list for supported languages • Go to Definition, Find References, Rename, Show Documentation and Quick Fix • Quick Open, command palette, keyboard shortcuts and reorderable tabs • In-file and project-wide find and replace, including unsaved drafts • Quick Look, drag-and-drop import, draft recovery and optional autosave LOCAL PROJECT TOOLS • Run and test supported JavaScript, TypeScript and Python projects on your device • Inspect console output, navigate symbols and review proposed code changes • Preview captured HTML projects with local assets and adjustable viewports • Debug Python and JavaScript/TypeScript, including async code • Install pure npm packages and Python wheels for offline use, and run SQL scripts with SQLite • No provider key or companion computer needed; a bounded runtime, not a general Node or system shell GIT AND REMOTE WORK • Free: clone over HTTPS or SSH; stage, commit, resolve conflicts, pull, push and sync; view diffs • Pro: branches, stashes, blame, file history and commit details; tags and rebases • Pro: pull and merge requests on GitHub, GitLab and Forgejo/Gitea—CI checks and logs, local checkout, inline review and suggested changes, approval and merge • Pro: start work from an issue, or hand a failing check to Agent Mode • Connect to your own machines with an interactive SSH terminal • Import or generate SSH keys and verify host fingerprints before connecting • Keep credentials protected in the system Keychain DESIGNED FOR iPHONE AND iPAD • Open local or external folders; access your Deskless workspace and cloned repositories in Files • Choose Split Editor or Editor + Tools layouts and fold-aware options for iPhone Duo • Native controls, accessibility support and layouts that adapt to available space • Scroll-minimizing editor toolbars on iOS 27 and a Control Center scratchpad action • Continued iOS 26 support START FREE. GO PRO WHEN YOU'RE READY. The editor, local Project Tools, everyday Git and supported on-device AI are free. Deskless Pro unlocks advanced Git and pull requests, cloud Agent Mode, cloud AI providers, SSH terminal, expanded workspace layouts, multiple tabs, find and replace, autosave, custom themes and Markdown/HTML document preview. Deskless Pro is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription or a one-time Lifetime purchase. Subscriptions renew automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period and can be managed in your App Store account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://deskless.app/privacy Code anywhere. Ship from anywhere.

About

Neon Vision Editor

A native, ultra-fast text editor for macOS, iPhone, and iPad. It's bloat-free and designed for focused editing without plugins or IDE overhead, supporting a wide range of file types and offering remote editing capabilities.

Highlights
  • Broad syntax highlighting
  • Fast navigation with Quick Open
  • Markdown preview and PDF export
  • Large-file editing support
  • Remote SSH session editing
  • Optional Vim-style keyboard workflow
  • Code Snapshot / Share Shot tools
Features
Read full description

Neon Vision Editor is a fast, native text editor for macOS, iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. Bloat-free. Readable. Built for focused editing without Electron, required plugins, or full IDE complexity. Edit notes, Markdown, code, configuration files, and large documents with an interface designed for each platform. Work with touch, hardware keyboards, and native editing controls. App Store editions do not include a local Terminal or shell-execution tools. HIGHLIGHTS • Broad syntax highlighting for Swift, Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Java, Kotlin, Go, Ruby, Rust, SQL, HTML, CSS, C/C++, Objective-C, JSON, XML, YAML, TOML, INI, Markdown, shell scripts, TeX/LaTeX, and more. • Open text files with unfamiliar extensions or no extension. Preserve tabs, Unicode characters, and text content when loading and saving. • Navigate with Quick Open, project browsing, folder trees, and Find in Files. • Write Markdown with live preview, GitHub Flavored Markdown support, syntax-colored code blocks, preview templates, and PDF export. Preview HTML and SVG alongside your editing workflow. • Expand markup and stylesheet abbreviations with built-in Emmet 2. Use optional Vim-style keyboard controls and export styled Code Snapshots. • Edit on iPad with adaptive controls, hardware-keyboard support, line wrapping, and horizontal scrolling for long lines. • Work with large documents using background preparation and viewport-based rendering. Files of 100 MB or more open as clearly marked, read-only partial previews. • Handle external changes with conflict-aware saving and improved change detection for network files on macOS. Failed or conflicted saves keep affected documents open instead of silently closing them. • Recover unsaved work with draft recovery and local recovery copies for external-document save payloads on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Vision Pro. • Preview supported source and Markdown files directly in Finder with the macOS Quick Look extension. • Choose whether the Welcome Tour appears automatically. Opening a document from Finder skips the tour, including after updates. OPTIONAL AI ASSISTANCE Use AI-assisted completion and saved chat conversations with Apple Intelligence on supported devices or an external provider you configure. Ask about a selected snippet, attach supported document context, or chat without including editor content. Available external providers include OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Grok, OpenCode Go, and custom OpenAI-compatible services. AI availability depends on your device and selected provider. Core editing works offline and does not require AI. PRIVACY Neon Vision Editor does not collect personal data for analytics or advertising. External AI features are optional. When you use them, requests go to your selected provider over HTTPS. Completion requests include relevant editing context, such as text near the cursor or an active selection. Chat requests include your messages and the context you explicitly choose, which can include selected text, a supported current file, or project structure. External AI providers process submitted content under their own terms and privacy policies. Provider API keys are stored securely in the system Keychain. Disabling AI features prevents AI-related requests; opening, saving, or previewing network-backed content may still communicate with the services you use. Built for developers, writers, students, sysadmins, and anyone who wants focused native editing. TERMS OF USE (EULA) https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Deskless4 screens
Neon Vision Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Neon Vision Editor at every 2 days against Deskless's every 3 weeks. Neon Vision Editor also leads on device support (5 vs 2) and iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.0). On price, ads and in-app purchases 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. Deskless sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month and Neon Vision Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Deskless ships an update every 3 weeks, Neon Vision Editor every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 23, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Deskless versus Neon Vision Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDesklessNeon Vision Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (8 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings—8 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Vision Pro — better
Requires iOS26.018.6 — better
Further details — not scored
Size116 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperLowcountry Code Labs LLCHilthart Pedersen

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Deskless

Subscriptions2
  • Deskless Pro Monthly7 Days trial$3.991 Month
  • Deskless Pro Yearly7 Days trial$24.991 Year
One-time1
  • Deskless Pro Lifetime$69.99
1 purchases

Neon Vision Editor

One-time1
  • Support the app$4.99

Questions

Is Deskless free?
Deskless is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Neon Vision Editor free?
Neon Vision Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Deskless or Neon Vision Editor have ads?
Neither Deskless nor Neon Vision Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Deskless or Neon Vision Editor?
Deskless ships an update every 3 weeks, and Neon Vision Editor every 2 days. Most recently, Deskless was updated on October 23, 2026 and Neon Vision Editor on October 25, 2026.

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