Working Copy VS GhostText.app

• User Interface
  Working Copy features an intuitive and user-friendly interface that makes navigating through repositories, committing changes, and pushing updates seamless even for beginners.
• File Management
  It offers robust file management capabilities, allowing users to easily view, edit, and manage files directly within the app, a crucial feature for developers on the go.
• Integration
  Working Copy integrates well with other iOS apps and services, enabling smooth workflow transitions between different tools and platforms.
• Support for Multiple Repositories
  The app supports multiple repositories, which is beneficial for developers who work on various projects simultaneously.
• Offline Capabilities
  Working Copy allows users to work offline with local repositories, syncing changes when back online, enabling productivity in environments without internet access.
• SSH Key Management
  It includes robust SSH key management, ensuring secure and streamlined authentication for remote repository access.

Possible disadvantages

• Cost
  While the basic features are free, some advanced functionalities require a paid subscription, which might be a drawback for budget-conscious users.
• Learning Curve
  Despite its user-friendly interface, the abundance of features can be overwhelming for new users, leading to a steep learning curve.
• Limited Platform
  The app is available exclusively for iOS, which restricts accessibility for developers who use other platforms like Android or Windows.
• Performance with Large Repositories
  Some users report performance issues when handling very large repositories, affecting the app's efficiency in such scenarios.
• Editing Capabilities
  While it offers basic editing functionalities, Working Copy lacks some of the more advanced code editing features found in dedicated code editors.

• Browser-to-editor synchronization
  GhostText allows you to connect text areas in your browser directly to your preferred code editor, enabling real-time two-way synchronization so you can write and edit text using a full-featured editor instead of a basic browser text box.
• Supports multiple editors
  GhostText is compatible with several popular code editors including VS Code, Sublime Text, Neovim, and others, giving users flexibility to work with their preferred development environment.
• Free and open source
  GhostText is an open-source project available for free, meaning users can inspect the code, contribute to its development, and use it without any licensing costs.
• Syntax highlighting and editor features
  By routing text editing through a full code editor, users gain access to syntax highlighting, auto-completion, linting, and other powerful editor features that are not available in standard browser text areas.
• Cross-browser support
  GhostText offers browser extensions for major browsers including Chrome and Firefox, making it accessible to a wide range of users regardless of their browser preference.

Possible disadvantages

• Setup complexity
  Using GhostText requires installing both a browser extension and an editor plugin, then ensuring they connect properly, which can be a somewhat involved setup process for non-technical users.
• Limited to text areas
  GhostText primarily works with standard HTML text areas and may not function correctly with all web-based editors, rich text editors, or custom content-editable elements found on modern websites.
• Connection reliability
  The WebSocket-based connection between the browser and editor can occasionally drop or fail to establish, requiring users to reconnect or restart the extension, which can interrupt workflow.
• Niche use case
  The tool serves a relatively narrow audience—primarily developers and writers who frequently edit code or long-form text in browser fields—limiting its broad appeal and community size.
• Maintenance and updates
  As an open-source project with a small team, updates and bug fixes may not come as frequently as with commercial software, and compatibility issues with new browser or editor versions can sometimes take time to resolve.

Using Git on iPad with Textastic and Working Copy

More videos

No GhostText.app videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

• 37signals Introduces Once – One time payment software

  Even better is the licensing model where you can keep using the version as-is after the subscription ends. You just don't get any new features. It's even possible to do on iOS, as Working Copy [0] is doing it. (You also get all the bug... - Source: Hacker News / about 3 years ago

• How I set up an almost fully automatic free Sync between Win, Android, iOS using Git.

  Yeah, Working Copy is a proper Git front-end which helps do safe syncing, via features such as:. Source: over 3 years ago

• [Newbie] How could I prevent git conflicts and make this system better?

  So I have a laptop and a iPhone. On laptop I have the Obsidian.md desktop app, on iPhone I have the app and Working Copy app too. This is all for syncing my notes. Source: almost 4 years ago

View more

Tracking GhostText.app since Apr 2026.