# My Lisp vs a

The clearest difference is price: a at Free against My Lisp's $3.99. a also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.1) and ratings volume (553 vs 17). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

a is free to download; My Lisp costs $3.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 69% of My Lisp's written reviews are positive against 78% of a's.

My Lisp ships an update every 6 weeks, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | My Lisp | a |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $3.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | [4.1 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-lisp/id1245341806/reviews) | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 17 | **553** |
| Positive reviews | 68.8% of reviews | **78.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #19 | **#17** |
| Size | 19 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Laurent Rodier](https://appshunter.io/developer/697920086) | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) |

## What reviewers say

### My Lisp

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-lisp/id1245341806)

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Paid · Developer Tools, #183 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A comprehensive Lisp programming environment for iOS and macOS devices. It offers a local interpreter, editor, and extensive libraries for learning and developing Lisp programs, including advanced mathematical functions and symbolic derivation.

**Highlights:** Local Lisp interpreter, Integrated editor, Core and mathematical operators, Advanced mathematics functions, Symbolic derivation module, Library and example files, User and reference manuals

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### a

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

**Currently charting:** #17 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 My Lisp free?

My Lisp costs $3.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Is a free?

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

### Which has better reviews, My Lisp or a?

a is rated higher. My Lisp averages 4.1 out of 5 from 17 ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 553 ratings.

### Do My Lisp or a have ads?

Neither My Lisp nor a shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, My Lisp or a?

My Lisp ships an update every 6 weeks, and a monthly. Most recently, My Lisp was updated on October 12, 2026 and a on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, My Lisp or a?

My Lisp currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and a at #17. 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.*