# iSH Shell vs RegEx+

The clearest difference is price: iSH Shell at Free against RegEx+'s $1.99. iSH Shell also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.2) and review sentiment (80% vs 50%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

iSH Shell is free to download; RegEx+ costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

iSH Shell holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: iSH Shell has 1.2K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of iSH Shell's written reviews are positive against 50% of RegEx+'s.

iSH Shell ships an update every 3 weeks, RegEx+ every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and September 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iSH Shell | RegEx+ |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243/reviews)** | [4.2 (5 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/regex-plus/id1511763524/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | 5 |
| Positive reviews | **80.2% of reviews** | 50.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | #104 |
| Size | 6 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Theodore Dubois](https://appshunter.io/developer/1432356577) | [圣罡 汤](https://appshunter.io/developer/951344278) |

## What reviewers say

### iSH Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243)

**Currently charting:** #17 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Experience a Linux-like command-line environment directly on your iOS device. This application allows you to perform common Linux operations such as editing, moving, and manipulating files using familiar commands.

**Highlights:** Linux-like shell environment, File editing with sed and cat, File manipulation, Command-line operations, Pocket Linux experience

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Excellent Linux environment
- 👍 Great for SSH and network utilities
- 💡 Allows running Linux apps on iOS
- 🔒 Secure and sandboxed
- 👍 Customizable and flexible

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and freezes
- 🔋 Battery intensive
- ⚠️ Limited functionality compared to full Linux
- ⚠️ Outdated packages and dependencies

**Reported bugs**

- Cursor focus issues
- Incompatibility with certain commands and packages
- Mounting issues with iOS file system

**Requested features**

- Add support for more Linux distributions
- Improve performance and stability
- Implement GUI support
- Add shortcuts and automation features


### RegEx+

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/regex-plus/id1511763524)

**Currently charting:** #104 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This tool helps developers master regular expressions on macOS and iOS. It offers a comprehensive cheatsheet and cloud synchronization across devices to decode and construct complex text patterns.

**Highlights:** Master regular expressions, Comprehensive cheatsheet, Cloud synchronization, Cross-device support (macOS, iOS), Decode complex patterns

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is iSH Shell free?

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

### Is RegEx+ free?

RegEx+ costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, iSH Shell or RegEx+?

iSH Shell is rated higher. iSH Shell averages 4.7 out of 5 from 1.2K ratings, while RegEx+ averages 4.2 from 5 ratings.

### Do iSH Shell or RegEx+ have ads?

Neither iSH Shell nor RegEx+ shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iSH Shell or RegEx+?

iSH Shell ships an update every 3 weeks, and RegEx+ every 4 weeks. Most recently, iSH Shell was updated on September 23, 2026 and RegEx+ on September 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, iSH Shell or RegEx+?

iSH Shell currently peaks at #17 in the App Store charts, and RegEx+ at #104. 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.*