# Code Viewer vs Joplin

The clearest difference is rating: Joplin at 4.1 against Code Viewer's 3.4. Joplin also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (476 vs 18). Code Viewer's advantage is iOS requirement (7.0 vs 15.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Code Viewer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Joplin asks for nothing beyond the download.

Joplin holds the better App Store score, 4.1 against 3.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Joplin has 476 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 49% of Code Viewer's written reviews are positive against 66% of Joplin's.

Code Viewer ships an update every 3 weeks, Joplin monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Code Viewer | Joplin |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.4 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-viewer-best-reader-for-code/id756979450/reviews) | **[4.1 (476 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joplin/id1315599797/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **476** |
| Positive reviews | 49.0% of reviews | **66.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 17 MB | 73 MB |
| Requires iOS | **7.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [skoroapps s.r.o.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1822210722) | [Laurent Cozic](https://appshunter.io/developer/1315599796) |

## What reviewers say

### Code Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/code-viewer-best-reader-for-code/id756979450)

View and manage source code files for over 60 programming languages. Open Xcode projects, navigate code with a table of contents, and access files via drag-and-drop, GitHub, or "Open In" functionality. Customize your viewing experience with 30+ color themes.

**Highlights:** Supports 60+ programming languages, Opens Xcode projects, Table of Contents for navigation, Import files via iTunes, GitHub, or "Open In", 30+ color themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Version | $2.99 | one-time |


### Joplin

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/joplin/id1315599797)

A privacy-focused note-taking and to-do application that allows you to capture multimedia notes, organize them with notebooks and tags, and sync across devices. It offers end-to-end encryption and an offline-first approach for secure and accessible information management.

**Highlights:** Capture multimedia notes (speech, photos, videos, PDFs), Organize notes with notebooks and tags, Create to-dos and set reminders, End-to-end encryption for privacy, Cross-device synchronization (Joplin Cloud, Dropbox, OneDrive), Offline-first access, OCR search for text within images and PDFs

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app
- 🔒 End-to-end encryption
- 👍 Excellent cross-platform support
- 👍 Intuitive Markdown support
- 👍 Flexible sync options (Dropbox, OneDrive, WebDAV)

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Sync issues, especially on iOS
- 🐛 Buggy UI, especially on iOS
- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🐛 Slow performance at times
- 🐛 Confusing interface, not very intuitive

**Reported bugs**

- Sync issues with WebDAV and Dropbox
- Crashes when creating new notes
- Keyboard issues, text getting obscured
- Rendering problems in dark mode
- Compatibility issues with older iOS versions

**Requested features**

- Add web clipper functionality on iOS
- Implement nested notebooks on iOS
- Allow password/biometric protection for notes
- Improve text editing experience on mobile
- Add more font and formatting options


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Code Viewer free?

Code Viewer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Joplin free?

Joplin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Code Viewer or Joplin?

Joplin is rated higher. Code Viewer averages 3.4 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while Joplin averages 4.1 from 476 ratings.

### Do Code Viewer or Joplin have ads?

Neither Code Viewer nor Joplin shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Code Viewer or Joplin?

Code Viewer ships an update every 3 weeks, and Joplin monthly. Most recently, Code Viewer was updated on October 7, 2026 and Joplin on October 5, 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.*