# iSH Shell vs JSON Tools

The clearest difference is review sentiment: iSH Shell at 80% against JSON Tools's 0%. iSH Shell also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and chart position (#17 vs #115). JSON Tools's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs every 3 weeks). On ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

iSH Shell is free to download; JSON Tools costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

iSH Shell ships an update every 3 weeks, JSON Tools every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | iSH Shell | JSON Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **1.2K** | — |
| Positive reviews | **80.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#17** | #115 |
| Size | 6 MB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **11.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Theodore Dubois](https://appshunter.io/developer/1432356577) | [Mohammed Aadhil](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526081218) |

## 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- ⚠️ Outdated packages and dependencies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


### JSON Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/json-tools/id1526081216)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A comprehensive toolkit for developers to visualize, validate, convert, and generate code from JSON data. It offers features like interactive tree views, schema generation, and code export for multiple programming languages.

**Highlights:** Interactive Tree View and JSONPath querying, Convert JSON to XML, CSV, YAML, and more, Generate type-safe model classes for multiple languages, Auto-generate JSON Schema for validation, Dedicated JSON syntax keyboard overlay, Background processing for large datasets

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, 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 JSON Tools free?

JSON Tools costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do iSH Shell or JSON Tools have ads?

Neither iSH Shell nor JSON Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, iSH Shell or JSON Tools?

iSH Shell ships an update every 3 weeks, and JSON Tools every 10 days. Most recently, iSH Shell was updated on September 29, 2026 and JSON Tools on September 19, 2026.

### Which is more popular, iSH Shell or JSON Tools?

iSH Shell currently peaks at #17 in the App Store charts, and JSON Tools at #115. 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.*