# Scriptable vs a

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Scriptable's 3. a also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 69%). Scriptable's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and ratings volume (3.8K vs 553). On price, rating, ads and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Scriptable sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Scriptable against 4.6 for a. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Scriptable has 3.8K ratings behind it against 553, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 69% of Scriptable's written reviews are positive against 79% of a's.

Scriptable ships an update every 4 days, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Scriptable | a |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (3.8K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptable/id1405459188/reviews)** | [4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **3.8K** | 553 |
| Positive reviews | 69.2% of reviews | **78.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 4 days** | Monthly |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#16** | #19 |
| Size | 28 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | 15.5 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) |

## What reviewers say

### Scriptable

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/scriptable/id1405459188)

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

Automate tasks on your device by writing custom scripts in JavaScript. Integrate with native iOS features like files, calendars, and reminders. Create personalized widgets for your Home Screen and interact with Siri.

**Highlights:** Write and run JavaScript, Create custom widgets, Siri Shortcuts integration, Access native iOS features, Schedule notifications, File management, Script gallery

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Small Tip | $0.99 | one-time |
| Medium Tip | $2.99 | one-time |
| Large Tip | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Amazing usage of Application Programming Interface (API)
- 🚀 Scriptable + AI lets create micro apps
- 👍 Whoah, Wow, Nice
- 👍 Awesome app, Helpful app
- 🚀 Unrivaled Functionality

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Force closes, Crashes immediately, Cannot Use - Always Crashes
- 🐛 Scripts don't work, Stopped working, Self Deleting
- 🐛 Incompatible with iOS 18, Widgets become white, Doesn't work on iOS 17.4
- 🐛 Bugs, So many bugs, Kept freezing
- 🐛 Default access to iCloud, Misspelled word, Selecting text is difficult

**Reported bugs**

- Scripts say need '(' at end when already there
- Reminders scheduling crashes when changing date/time
- Reminders Due Today has variable scope issues
- setInterval is not set
- Accessing Contacts and ContactsContainer causes blank widget

**Requested features**

- Add HTML support
- Add Apple Watch support
- Improve documentation with examples
- Add ability to access files from other apps
- Add ability to require other scripts


### a

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

**Currently charting:** #19 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 Scriptable free?

Scriptable 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, Scriptable or a?

Scriptable is rated higher. Scriptable averages 4.7 out of 5 from 3.8K ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 553 ratings.

### Do Scriptable or a have ads?

Neither Scriptable nor a shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Scriptable or a?

Scriptable ships an update every 4 days, and a monthly. Most recently, Scriptable was updated on October 1, 2026 and a on September 29, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Scriptable or a?

Scriptable currently peaks at #16 in the App Store charts, and a at #19. 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.*