# Textastic Code Editor vs a

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Textastic Code Editor's 3. a also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 69%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.0). Textastic Code Editor's advantage is ratings volume (2.5K vs 119) and chart position (#16 vs #60). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Textastic Code Editor sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Textastic Code Editor against 4.6 for a. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Textastic Code Editor has 2.5K ratings behind it against 119, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Textastic Code Editor's written reviews are positive against 78% of a's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Textastic Code Editor | a |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (2.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textastic-code-editor/id1049254261/reviews)** | [4.6 (119 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2.5K** | 119 |
| Positive reviews | 68.9% of reviews | **77.8% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Subscription | **Paid** |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | #60 |
| Size | 26 MB | 373 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Alexander Blach](https://appshunter.io/developer/303486870) | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) |

## What reviewers say

### Textastic Code Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/textastic-code-editor/id1049254261)

**Currently charting:** #16 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #43 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful text and code editor for mobile devices, offering syntax highlighting for over 80 languages, code completion, and formatting tools. It allows connection to various servers and cloud storage for seamless file management and editing.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting for 80+ languages, SFTP, FTP, WebDAV, and Dropbox client, Built-in SSH terminal, Code completion and formatting, External keyboard and trackpad support, Split View and Slide Over multitasking

**Features:** Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Textastic Pro (Monthly) | $2.99 | per month |
| Textastic Pro (Yearly) | $19.99 | per year |
| Textastic Pro (One-Time) | $69.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Highly performant
- 👍 Versatile and feature-rich
- 💡 Excellent integration with other apps (e.g. Working Copy)
- 👍 Customizable and intuitive UI
- 👍 Reliable and stable

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🔒 Restrictive paywall for basic functionality
- 👎 Confusing file management and upload/download workflow
- 👎 Lack of modern code editing features (e.g. auto-indent, code folding)

**Reported bugs**

- Issues with SSH/SFTP connectivity and authentication
- Problems with handling large files or files with certain extensions
- Inconsistent text selection and editing behavior

**Requested features**

- Add support for more cloud storage providers (e.g. Google Drive, OneDrive)
- Implement a more seamless remote file editing and syncing workflow
- Improve code editing features like code folding, multi-cursor support, and code beautification
- Add a built-in terminal or ability to run code directly within the app


### a

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943)

**Currently charting:** #60 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Run Unix commands locally on your iOS device with a powerful terminal emulator. Supports file transfer, editing, scripting with Python and Lua, and network utilities. Integrates with Shortcuts and supports multiple windows for multitasking.

**Highlights:** Local Unix terminal emulator, SSH client, File transfer (scp, curl), Text editing (vim, ed), Scripting (Python, Lua, JavaScript), Network utilities (nslookup, ping), Shortcuts integration, Multi-window support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for shortcuts
- 🚀 Efficient and functional
- 💡 Useful for IT tasks
- ✨ Free and awesome
- 💻 Good for remote server connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Font size not adjustable
- 🐛 Keyboard icons too large
- 🐛 App deletes itself
- 🐛 Rotating screen scrambles display
- 🐛 Pasting text shows strange characters

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard icons comically large
- App deletes itself
- Rotating iPhone/iPad scrambles display
- Pasting text results in strange characters
- App only uses half of the screen when editing files

**Requested features**

- Option to use old keyboard buttons
- Add openssl support
- Add libx265 codec for ffmpeg
- Support telnet command
- Add possibility to compile from source


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Textastic Code Editor free?

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

### Is a free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Textastic Code Editor or a?

Textastic Code Editor is rated higher. Textastic Code Editor averages 4.7 out of 5 from 2.5K ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 119 ratings.

### Do Textastic Code Editor or a have ads?

Neither Textastic Code Editor nor a shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Textastic Code Editor or a?

Textastic Code Editor ships an update every 2 weeks, and a every 2 weeks. Most recently, Textastic Code Editor was updated on September 23, 2026 and a on September 21, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Textastic Code Editor or a?

Textastic Code Editor currently peaks at #16 in the App Store charts, and a at #60. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*