# Bluetooth Terminal vs a

The clearest difference is rating: a at 4.6 against Bluetooth Terminal's 3.3. a also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 36%) and in-app purchases (none vs 7). Bluetooth Terminal's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Bluetooth Terminal sells 7 one-off in-app purchases. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 18, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 36% of Bluetooth Terminal's written reviews are positive against 78% of a's.

Bluetooth Terminal ships an update weekly, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Bluetooth Terminal | a |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [3.3 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-terminal/id1058693037/reviews) | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 18 | **553** |
| Positive reviews | 36.0% of reviews | **78.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | **Weekly** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #206 | **#20** |
| Size | 11 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch** | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Lukas Pistrol](https://appshunter.io/developer/1057723256) | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) |

## What reviewers say

### Bluetooth Terminal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bluetooth-terminal/id1058693037)

**Currently charting:** #206 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Prototype Bluetooth LE hardware by sending and receiving data in various formats. Inspect device services, characteristics, and values. Offers features like a button matrix for control and session export.

**Highlights:** Send data as ASCII, HEX, or Decimal, View device services and characteristics, Inspect device name, UUID, and RSSI, Button matrix for sending commands, Export session data as CSV, Send current time as Unix timestamp

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (7)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Show RSSI Values | $0.99 | one-time |
| Time Stamp | $0.99 | one-time |
| Buy me 1 coffee | $2.99 | one-time |
| Remove Ads | $5.99 | one-time |
| Controller Buttons | $5.99 | one-time |
| Buy me 2 coffees | $5.99 | one-time |
| Buy me 3 coffees | $11.99 | one-time |


### a

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438)

**Currently charting:** #20 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Run a full Unix-like terminal environment on your iOS device. Execute a wide range of commands, edit files, and even program using included interpreters and compilers. Supports multitasking and integration with Shortcuts.

**Highlights:** Local Unix terminal emulator, SSH client, File transfer (scp, curl), Text editing (vim, ed), Scripting languages (Python, Lua, Perl, JS), C/C++ compiler, TeX distribution

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Powerful terminal with Linux commands
- 👍 Useful for programming and development
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 💡 Impressive capabilities for an iOS app
- 👍 Helpful documentation and developer support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🔍 Missing some basic terminal features
- 🔍 Compatibility issues with certain packages

**Reported bugs**

- Toolbar buttons not accessible in portrait mode on some devices
- Pasting from clipboard can insert unexpected characters
- Sourcing certain script files causes crashes

**Requested features**

- Add support for package managers like Homebrew or APT
- Implement more advanced shell features like job control and better tab completion
- Integrate Git for version control
- Allow installing additional packages and libraries
- Improve clipboard and file management integration


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Bluetooth Terminal free?

Bluetooth Terminal 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, Bluetooth Terminal or a?

a is rated higher. Bluetooth Terminal averages 3.3 out of 5 from 18 ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 553 ratings.

### Do Bluetooth Terminal or a have ads?

Bluetooth Terminal shows ads; a does not.

### Which is updated more often, Bluetooth Terminal or a?

Bluetooth Terminal ships an update weekly, and a monthly. Most recently, Bluetooth Terminal was updated on October 16, 2026 and a on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Bluetooth Terminal or a?

Bluetooth Terminal currently peaks at #206 in the App Store charts, and a at #20. 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.*