Best Plain Text Editor Apps

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

3.9 avg rating
15 free apps
Updated October 2026

From beginner-friendly picks to power-user tools, our plain text editor list covers 249+ iPhone apps updated through October 2026. Compare ratings, prices, and screenshots in one place.

Compare top Plain Text Editor Apps (October 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1SubtextSubtextFree4.5β˜… (85)NoNoOct 2026
2Runestone Text EditorRunestone Text EditorFree4.7β˜… (2K)NoYesOct 2026
3Text Editor.Text Editor.Free4.4β˜… (4.4K)NoYesOct 2026
4Plain Text EditorPlain Text Editor$5.004.4β˜… (9)NoNoOct 2026
5Plain Text Total EditorPlain Text Total EditorFreeβ€”NoNoJul 2026
6Typepad EditorTypepad EditorFree5.0β˜… (3)YesNoSep 2026
7Lightweight Text EditorLightweight Text Editor$2.994.3β˜… (58)NoNoOct 2026
8DraftsDraftsFree4.8β˜… (11K)NoYesOct 2026

Top Picks for Plain Text Editor

Subtext#1

Subtext by Charcoal Design

Simple, elegant text editor
4.5😊(85 ratings)
Free
#80in Developer Tools
Subtext screenshot 1
Subtext screenshot 2
Subtext screenshot 3
Subtext screenshot 4
Subtext screenshot 5

A straightforward text editor for iPhone and iPad, allowing direct creation and editing of files within iCloud. It offers advanced controls for line endings and character encoding, ideal for on-the-go code or data file modifications.

What We Love

  • πŸ‘ Simple and efficient
  • πŸš€ Fast and lightweight
  • πŸ†“ Free and no ads
  • ✨ Clean and intuitive UI
  • πŸ“‚ Seamless Files app integration
  • πŸ”’ Line numbers included
  • πŸ’‘ No bloatware
  • 🌍 Works well on iPad
  • πŸ”’ Privacy-respecting
  • πŸ“ Great for plain text editing
  • πŸ‘† Easy to use
  • 🌟 Minimalist design
  • πŸ”„ Supports various encodings
  • πŸ“‚ Integrates with iCloud/Dropbox
  • β™Ώ Accessible with VoiceOver

Room to Improve

  • πŸ› Fails on network drives
  • πŸ› Data corruption risk
  • πŸ› Difficulty unselecting text
  • πŸ› Buggy Chinese input method
  • πŸ› Random capitalization issues
  • πŸ› Large files cause errors
  • πŸ› No cancel option for save/exit
  • πŸ› Picky about file extensions
  • πŸ› Cannot edit non-text files
  • πŸ› Autosave can be problematic
  • πŸ› No always-on tab key
  • πŸ› Default focus to EOF
  • πŸ› Chinese input method errors
  • πŸ› File saving issues
4.7😊(2K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#43in Developer Tools
Runestone Text Editor screenshot 1
Runestone Text Editor screenshot 2
Runestone Text Editor screenshot 3
Runestone Text Editor screenshot 4
Runestone Text Editor screenshot 5
Runestone Text Editor screenshot 6

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.

What We Love

  • πŸ’Ž Excellent text editor
  • πŸš€ Smooth and responsive
  • 🎨 Customizable themes and appearance
  • πŸ”’ Secure file storage and sync
  • πŸ‘ Clean and intuitive interface
  • πŸ’° Good value for premium version
  • πŸ€– Helpful developer

Room to Improve

  • πŸ› Occasional crashes or bugs
  • πŸ” Difficulty navigating files/folders
  • πŸ“ Limited functionality without premium
  • πŸ”Œ Performance issues on older devices
  • πŸ”’ Difficulty accessing files in cloud storage
Text Editor.#3

Text Editor. by TAPUNIVERSE LLC

A must have text editor
4.4😞(4.4K ratings)
FreeIn-App Purchases
#25in Developer Tools
Text Editor. screenshot 1
Text Editor. screenshot 2
Text Editor. screenshot 3
Text Editor. screenshot 4
Text Editor. screenshot 5

A versatile text editor for managing files on your device and in the cloud. Supports various text formats, rich text editing, and custom fonts. Offers cloud integration and sharing capabilities.

What We Love

  • πŸš€ Great for direct editing
  • πŸ‘ Wonderful for writing
  • πŸ‘ Smooth and modern
  • πŸ‘ Reads and edits well

Room to Improve

  • πŸ’° Expensive subscription
  • πŸ”’ Locks access to files
  • πŸ”’ Requires subscription to use
  • πŸ› Crashes when opening files
  • πŸ› Inconsistent file saving
  • πŸ› Freezes and becomes unresponsive

More Plain Text Editor apps to explore

FAQ about Plain Text Editor

What are the best plain text editor apps for iPhone?
Subtext tops our plain text editor apps ranking as of October 2026, with a 4.5-star average from 85 App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes β€” 15 of the top plain text editor apps we rank are free to download, including Subtext and Runestone Text Editor.
Subtext has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of October 2026.
We track 249+ plain text editor apps on the iOS App Store as of October 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.

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