# Surge 5 vs a

The clearest difference is rating: a at 4.6 against Surge 5's 4.1. a also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and review sentiment (79% vs 51%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Surge 5 sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $14.99 per year. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 994 and 553 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 51% of Surge 5's written reviews are positive against 79% of a's.

Surge 5 ships an update every 5 weeks, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on September 30, 2026 and October 2, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Surge 5 | a |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.1 (994 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surge-5/id1442620678/reviews) | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **994** | 553 |
| Positive reviews | 51.5% of reviews | **78.6% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 5 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#7** | #18 |
| Size | 81 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Apple TV | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Surge Networks Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1442620677) | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) |

## What reviewers say

### Surge 5

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/surge-5/id1442620678)

**Currently charting:** #7 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #22 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This advanced network utility allows developers to intercept, process, and forward network traffic. It offers deep control over connections, including URL redirection, local file mapping, and HTTPS decryption. Ideal for debugging and network analysis.

**Highlights:** Network connection takeover, Modify network requests/responses, Forward traffic to other proxies, Intercept and save network data, Decrypt HTTPS traffic, Rule-based forwarding, Ad blocking by domain

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Feature Subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| Surge Pro | $49.99 | one-time |


### a

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

**Currently charting:** #18 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 Surge 5 free?

Surge 5 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, Surge 5 or a?

a is rated higher. Surge 5 averages 4.1 out of 5 from 994 ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 553 ratings.

### Do Surge 5 or a have ads?

Neither Surge 5 nor a shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Surge 5 or a?

Surge 5 ships an update every 5 weeks, and a monthly. Most recently, Surge 5 was updated on September 30, 2026 and a on October 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Surge 5 or a?

Surge 5 currently peaks at #7 in the App Store charts, and a at #18. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*