Comparison

Shift vs Only Text Editor

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

Head to head
About

Shift

This app converts and compresses various file types locally on your device, ensuring privacy. It handles images, videos, audio, and documents with a focus on speed and ease of use.

Highlights
  • Local file processing
  • Image conversion and compression
  • Video file shrinking
  • Audio extraction
  • PDF document management
  • Smart compression with quality control
Features
Read full description

Make your files easier to save and share. Shift converts images, documents, audio and video on your iPhone and iPad, with previews, quality options and clear results. Images: JPEG, PNG and HEIC. Documents: PDF, TXT, RTF and DOCX, with CSV import. Audio: M4A and WAV, including audio extracted from video. Video: MP4, MOV, M4V and GIF. Available conversions depend on the source file. • Convert images and scanned PDFs to TXT with on-device recognition. • Extract, reorder or split pages while preserving text. • Choose a maximum dimension while preserving aspect ratio. • Save to Files, create ZIP archives or use the results for another conversion. File contents are processed on your device. No app account is required. Purchases and usage analytics use online services, as explained in the privacy policy. Free: 3 successful operations per day, one file at a time. Premium, available as an in-app purchase, unlocks unlimited conversions and processing of multiple files together. Terms: https://polyester-popcorn-ea5.notion.site/Shift-Termini-Condizioni-ec94e70916be4f6f9f78d92caf3b749c Privacy: https://polyester-popcorn-ea5.notion.site/Shift-Privacy-3080e6fb1acf807cb24bc33075bcd9f5

About

Only Text Editor

A minimalist text editor for iOS that prioritizes simplicity and speed. It allows users to view and edit plain text files without any formatting distractions, offering a clean writing experience with customizable typography and seamless integration with the Files app.

Highlights
  • Pure plain text editing
  • Zero clutter interface
  • Customizable typography
  • Modern iOS integration
  • Lightweight and fast performance
  • iCloud Drive support
Read full description

Meet Only Text, a stripped-down text editor for iOS that brings back the simplicity of classic text editing. Inspired by the beloved, no-nonsense text editors of the past, Only Text focuses entirely on doing one thing perfectly: letting you view and edit plain text files. No markdown formatting, no color-coding, and no distractions. Just your words. Key Features: * Pure Plain Text - Seamlessly open, view, and save plain text files from your device, iCloud Drive, or anywhere else the Files app can reach. * Save Exactly Where You Want - When you create a new document, nothing is written to disk until you choose to save it at which point you pick the destination yourself, whether that's iCloud Drive, On My iPhone, or another location entirely. * Never Lose Your Work - Existing documents save continuously as you type. If Only Text is ever interrupted before you've saved a brand-new document, it's offered back to you the next time you open the app. * Zero Clutter - No complex toolbars, formatting menus, or markdown to learn. The interface gets out of your way so you can focus on writing. * Built-in Search - Quickly find text within long documents without leaving the editor. * Custom Typography - Enjoy the beautiful, monospaced Iosevka Curly Slab font set as the default, switch to your device's system font, or pick any custom font installed on your device with adjustable sizing to match your taste. * Adaptive Light & Dark Themes - Follow the system appearance or choose your own; the whole app, including documents already open, updates instantly. * Share & Print - Send a document to any app, or print it directly, right from the editor. * Modern iOS Integration - Built natively for iOS to ensure smooth performance, fast load times, and perfect integration with the Files app. * Lightweight & Fast - Opens instantly. Perfect for quick notes, writing code snippets, or keeping track of your thoughts on the go. Only Text is free to use, with no ads and no subscriptions. If you enjoy it, you can leave an optional tip to support future updates.

Screenshots

Shift4 screens
Only Text Editor4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shift at 5.0 against Only Text Editor's 4.5. Shift also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Only Text Editor's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads 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. Shift sells 4 one-off in-app purchases and Only Text Editor sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shift holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shift ships an update weekly, Only Text Editor every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 31, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Shift versus Only Text Editor: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShiftOnly Text Editor
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.5 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings22
Update frequencyWeekly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.618.6
Further details — not scored
Size21 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAntonio StillaRandy Tjahjono

Customer experience

Shift

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Only Text Editor

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Shift

One-time4
  • Small Support$0.99
  • Special Support$3.99
  • Super Support$8.99
Show 1 more
  • Shift Premium$12.99
2 purchases

Only Text Editor

One-time2
  • Tip$0.99
  • Slightly Larger Tip$1.29

Questions

Is Shift free?
Shift is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Only Text Editor free?
Only Text Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shift or Only Text Editor?
Shift is rated higher. Shift averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Only Text Editor averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.
Do Shift or Only Text Editor have ads?
Neither Shift nor Only Text Editor shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shift or Only Text Editor?
Shift ships an update weekly, and Only Text Editor every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shift was updated on October 31, 2026 and Only Text Editor on October 24, 2026.

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