Comparison

Stream vs a

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stream

This tool allows developers to inspect HTTP and HTTPS network traffic on iOS devices. It enables capturing requests, replaying them, and managing host configurations for testing different environments. Essential for debugging network issues and understanding application behavior.

Highlights
  • Sniff HTTP & HTTPS requests
  • Capture and preview request/response bodies
  • Compose and replay HTTP requests
  • Configure hosts for environment switching
  • Import and replay HAR files
  • Compatible with iPhone X and iPad multitasking
Features
Read full description

Before downloading this App, We hope you can read the following introductions seriously. 1. Stream is designed for f2e developers, mobile developers, backend developers, sa engineers, qa engineers and users who have a certain network analyze abilities. 2. Stream is only designed for network debugging. Meanwhile, turning on Stream requires you to authorize VPN permissions. 3. Stream will never upload any user data, and we also expect you to spread to users who also trust us. If you do not agree with the above instructions, we recommend you consider seriously before downloading. Features: Stream is an iOS side network debugging tool, only for QA & development. 1. Sniff HTTP & HTTPS requests, meanwhile sniffing HTTPS requests needs you to install CA certificates. 2. Capture History, preview request body, and response body, supports text / JSON / files / forms. 3. Compose HTTP requests and Replay sniffed requests. 4. Support Hosts configuration, similar to Hosts in the PC features, for f2e developer and mobile developer to switch test environment and online environment easily. 5. Simple support on HAR files, you can export Charles / Fiddler / Chrome / Firefox network records to HAR file and then open in Stream and replay requests. 6. Compatible with iPhone X and iPad MutiTask.

About

a

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
Read full description

a-Shell is a complete local terminal emulator, allowing to run most Unix commands on your iOS device. You can transfer files using scp and curl, edit them with vim and ed, process them using grep, awk and sed. You can work with git repositories using lg2.  Most commands are compiled for iOS native Arm64 format, making them fast and well integrated with the BSD Unix that powers iOS/iPadOS. a-Shell includes Python, Lua, Perl, JavaScript, C, C++ for programming and TeX (texlive 2025, with Tikz and LuaTeX) for text processing. There are also multiple network utilities: nslookup, ping, whois, ifconfig... Type help for help, help -l to get the full list of commands. a-Shell can be controlled from Shortcuts: run commands in order, process files in a-Shell, get the results as text or files, transfer files to other apps... a-shell uses iOS 13+ “multiple windows” ability, so you can run multiple shells at the same time, with different commands, in different directories. You can edit a file in one window with vim and process it in the other with python. Compile your C or C++ programs to webAssembly using clang or clang++, and execute the resulting binary. A complete webAssembly SDK is included (WASI-libc). a-Shell is the complete version. If you need a smaller app, and you don't need a C compiler, a TeX engine, or numpy and matplotlib, there is a-Shell mini.

Screenshots

Stream4 screens
a4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: a at 4.6 against Stream's 4.1. a also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (553 vs 133). Stream's advantage is iOS requirement (9 vs 14.0). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Stream sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 133 and 553 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 79% and 79% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stream ships an update every 3 weeks, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Stream versus a: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStreama
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (133 ratings)4.6 (553 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.9% of reviews — better78.6% of reviews
Number of ratings133553 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#59#19 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS9 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size33 MB1.9 GB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperStream Lab Inc.Nicolas Holzschuch

Customer experience

Stream

All ratings133 ratings
Positive75.2%
Neutral6.8%
Negative18.0%
Written reviews161 reviews
Positive78.9%
Neutral4.3%
Negative16.8%

a

All ratings553 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral10.2%
Negative11.2%

User reviews

Stream

From 133 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Free and powerful HTTP packet sniffer tool
  • 👍 Simple and intuitive user interface
  • 🔧 Useful for network debugging and troubleshooting
  • 💡 Built-in JSON viewer and utilities (RSA, Base64 encryption/decryption)
  • ✏️ Ability to edit and resend requests

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Certificate installation fails on iOS 18.x versions
  • 🐛 Gacha history recording not working properly
  • 🐛 'Code 0' error when generating JSON links
  • 🐛 VPN profile conflicts requiring app reinstallation
  • ⚠️ Requires installing system certificates (security concern)

a

From 553 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

Bugs and requests

Stream

Reported bugs

10 issues
  • Certificate installation fails on iOS 18.1 and 18.2
  • Gacha/wish history not being captured correctly
  • Code 0 error when retrieving JSON links
  • VPN profiles becoming non-functional after app use
  • Server connection issues (192.168.0.2:8081 unreachable)
Show 5 more
  • WebSocket messages lost after clearing capture history
  • HTTPS interception blocking website access
  • Request capture showing CONNECT instead of GET method
  • Certificate trust settings not appearing after installation
  • App functionality broken on latest iOS updates

Requested features

10 requests
  • Select all requests button for bulk export
  • Ability to delete individual capture sessions/records
  • Gzip response content decompression
  • Breakpoint setting for request modification
  • Media file saving capability
Show 5 more
  • Custom certificate support
  • Local debugging interface
  • Improved font styling in UI
  • Support for older iOS versions
  • One-click export all requests functionality

a

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Stream

One-time2
  • Coke$0.99
  • Coffee$2.99
None

a

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Stream free?
Stream 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, Stream or a?
a is rated higher. Stream averages 4.1 out of 5 from 133 ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 553 ratings.
Do Stream or a have ads?
Neither Stream nor a shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stream or a?
Stream ships an update every 3 weeks, and a monthly. Most recently, Stream was updated on September 22, 2026 and a on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Stream or a?
Stream currently peaks at #59 in the App Store charts, and a at #19. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons