All text editors might seem the same, but choosing the right one is important. Whether you’re writing a novel or a shopping list, you need the right tool. Here are some of the best text editors for iPhone and iPad.
What to Look for in a Text Editor
Text editors are meant to do just that—edit text. But there are plenty of other features you might look for in a text editor. First, do you want rich or plain text functionality? In rich text editors, you can add—and sometimes lightly edit—images, but in plain text editors, you cannot. However, plain text editors often have more advanced Markdown support and syntax highlighting.
Support for Markdown isn’t a given—especially in rich text editors, like Pages—so keep your eyes peeled if that’s a must-have for you. The most robust plain text editors often support rich previews of your content, if needed.
If you write code, syntax highlighting might be a requirement. Markdown highlighting is also available in some apps.
All of the apps we recommend support syncing of some sort, whether via iCloud or a storage service, like Dropbox. Document organization depends on the sync method. Those that use iCloud, for example, often don’t offer any form of folder or subfolder structure. Pages, again, is a good example here.
You probably already know the features you need, but with so many different text editors to choose from it’s easy to become overwhelmed. Which one is right for you?
The Best for Most People: Pages
You can’t have a list of text editors without including Pages. It’s also different from the other apps on our list because it’s more akin to the old-style, what-you-see-is-what-you-get (WYSIWYG) text editors from Mac.
Rich text, images, and support for the Apple Pencil are all present. There’s no Markdown support, though—if you want any kind of syntax highlighting and such, you have to look elsewhere.
