Comparison

TextNova vs Codex Relay

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

Head to head
About

TextNova

A powerful text transformation tool for developers, offering over 107 built-in transformers for encoding, decoding, formatting, and hashing text. It features on-device AI for text manipulation and a developer-friendly editor with advanced functionalities.

Highlights
  • 107+ text transformers
  • On-device AI for text manipulation
  • Developer-friendly editor
  • Bidirectional transforms
  • Command palette for quick access
  • Universal app for Mac, iPhone, iPad
Features
Read full description

TextNova is a fast, native text toolbox for developers. Convert, encode, decode, hash, and format text with 151 built-in transformers, all in one clean interface on Mac, iPhone, and iPad. HIGHLIGHTS • 151 transformers in 7 categories: JSON/YAML/TOML/XML conversion, Base64/Hex/URL encoding, MD5/SHA hashing, case conversion, text and data utils, and date/time tools • Markdown preview: see your document rendered, with tables, task lists, images, and syntax highlighted code. Select blocks and copy them with their formatting intact • Change history: every transform, paste, and file load is recorded, per tab. Compare any point against your current text, or revert to it • On-device AI: summarize, fix grammar, translate, or rewrite with Apple Intelligence. Your text never leaves your device • Developer-grade editor: monospace type, line numbers, syntax highlighting, search and replace, and a built-in diff view • Command Palette: find and run any transformer without leaving the keyboard • Favorites and Recents: your most-used transformers always within reach • Private by design: works fully offline. No accounts, no servers, no tracking Whether you're decoding a JWT, pretty-printing JSON, or turning CSV into a Markdown table, TextNova gets it done in seconds. Available in English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Spanish, French, and German.

About

Codex Relay

Manage your Codex workflow remotely from your phone. Track active threads, send prompts, review output, and respond to requests. Designed for developers to stay connected to their work without being at their desk.

Highlights
  • Follow Codex conversations remotely
  • Send prompts and follow-up instructions
  • Respond to approval and input requests
  • Attach images for context
  • Review workspace and thread activity
  • Manage relay server state
  • Check usage statistics
Features
Read full description

Codex Relay brings your Codex workflow to your phone. Connect to your local Codex Relay server and keep track of active threads, responses, approvals, and workspace activity without staying at your desk. Send follow-up prompts, review assistant output, attach images for context, and respond when Codex needs input before it can continue. Built for developers who use Codex as part of real work, Codex Relay keeps the mobile experience focused, fast, and close to the terminal workflow. Key features: - Follow Codex conversations from your phone - Send prompts and follow-up instructions - Respond to approval and input requests - Attach images as context - Review workspace and thread activity - Manage connected relay server state - Check usage - Designed for local developer workflows Codex Relay requires a running Codex Relay server on your computer. Start the server with `npx codex-relay@latest`, then connect your device over your local network. GitHub: https://github.com/gronxb/codex-relay Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

TextNova4 screens
Codex Relay4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: Codex Relay at Free against TextNova's $1.99. Codex Relay also leads on chart position (#38 vs unranked). TextNova's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 63%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Codex Relay is free to download; TextNova costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TextNova ships an update every 6 days, Codex Relay every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 19, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
TextNova versus Codex Relay: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTextNovaCodex Relay
Price$1.99Free — better
Rating—4.2 (56 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better63.2% of reviews
Number of ratings—56 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidFree — better
Best chart rank—#38 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size7 MB118 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperHWAN LEEKang Sungyu

Customer experience

TextNova

Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Codex Relay

All ratings56 ratings
Positive78.6%
Neutral3.6%
Negative17.9%
Written reviews19 reviews
Positive63.2%
Neutral0.0%
Negative36.8%

In-app purchases

None

TextNova

No in-app purchases

None

Codex Relay

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is TextNova free?
TextNova costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Codex Relay free?
Codex Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do TextNova or Codex Relay have ads?
Neither TextNova nor Codex Relay shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TextNova or Codex Relay?
TextNova ships an update every 6 days, and Codex Relay every 9 days. Most recently, TextNova was updated on October 20, 2026 and Codex Relay on October 19, 2026.

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