Comparison

Koder Code Editor vs a

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

Head to head
About

Koder Code Editor

A powerful code editor for mobile devices, offering syntax highlighting for over 80 languages, remote file access, and a built-in terminal. Perfect for developers who need to code on the go with a well-designed interface.

Highlights
  • Syntax highlighting for 80+ languages
  • Remote file access (SFTP, Dropbox, WebDAV)
  • Built-in SSH client
  • Tabbed editing
  • Code autocomplete
  • Snippet manager
  • Editor themes
Features
Read full description

"Koder for iPad: Nerds Rejoice! You Can Code on Your iPad" -- GIZMODO / App of the day -- "Koder’s simple yet efficient interface is designed for touch editing. At just $5.99, you get an editor with a well-designed interface at a great price. If you want to code with your trusty iPad, then Koder is for you." -- AppAdvice -- "An accomplished code editor for many programming languages" -- 148Apps -- "Editing code on your iPad should never be that difficult again" --KillerStartups-- "The developers at iCodeLabs have done a great job optimizing the iPad’s real estate for code editing" --theiphoneappreview-- "The app for instant project creation and code editing, perfect for developers and programmers on the go." --tipsfortablets-- -- Koder was listed on the App Store as a 'Staff Favorites' in 82 countries -- Koder is a code editor for iPad and iPhone. It does have many features including syntax highlighting, snippet manager, tabbed editing, find and replace code, editor theme, remote and local files connections, and many more. With Koder you can code anytime and anywhere, no matter if you're at your desk or while on the go Features: - Syntax Highlighting ( Supports more than 80 languages : actionscript, actionscript3, active4d, ada, ampl, apache, applescript, asm-mips, asm-x86, asp-js, asp-vb, aspdotnet-cs, aspdotnet-vb, awk, batch, c, cobol, coffeescript, coldfusion, cpp, csharp, csound, css, d, dylan, eiffel, erl, eztpl, elixir, fortran, freefem, gedcom, gnuassembler, haskell, header, html, idl, java, javafx, javascript, jsp, latex, less, lilypond, lisp, logtalk, lsl, lua, markdown, matlab, mel, metapost, metaslang, mysql, nemerle, none, nrnhoc, objectivec, objectivecaml, ox, pascal, pdf, perl, php, plist, postscript, powershell, prolog, python, r, rhtml, ruby, sass, scala, sgml, shell, sml, sql, standard, stata, supercollider, tcltk, torquescript, udo, vb, verilog, vhdl, xml ) - Code Autocomplete - Code Function list - Access and Manage your Dropbox, (S)FTP, webdav and local files easily - Built In Terminal (SSH Client) - Tabbed editing - Extra Keyboard with Custom Key (Snippet) - Document Picker Support to open/import/export other app files from/to Koder - Find and replace code - Previewer Browser with View Source function - Editor theme with Custom Theme Editor - Extra Key / Additional Keys on Virtual Keyboard with open+close brackets keys - Screen-Lock, Manual and Auto Lock - Extracting Zip File on Local project - Sophisticated File Browser - iOS "Open In" support, from Koder to other app - vice versa - Change file/folder permission (CHMOD) on FTP/SFTP projects - Folder Synchronization between Local Project and FTP Project - Uploading files from desktop from browser or iTunes sharing - Expandable editing space - Bluetooth Keyboard Support - and many more … - Support multitasking for iPad - Support editing files from Working Copy using drag and drop NEWEST - Support Dark Theme - Compatibility with iOS 13 BUG REPORT/ PROBLEMS/ IDEAS : If you have any problems when using Koder, or you have ideas for Koder improvement, please mention us or message us directly at twiter @koderapp

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

Koder Code Editor4 screens
a4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Koder Code Editor at 12K against a's 553. Koder Code Editor also leads on iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for Koder Code Editor against 4.6 for a. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Koder Code Editor has 12K ratings behind it against 553, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 72% of Koder Code Editor's written reviews are positive against 78% of a's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Koder Code Editor ships an update every 3 weeks, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Koder Code Editor versus a: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKoder Code Editora
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (12K ratings)4.6 (553 ratings)
Positive reviews71.7% of reviews78.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12K — better553
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
Best chart rank#29#18 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS12.0 — better14.0
Further details — not scored
Size35 MB1.9 GB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperReny MustikaNicolas Holzschuch

Customer experience

Koder Code Editor

All ratings11,603 ratings
Positive89.8%
Neutral3.6%
Negative6.7%
Written reviews1,175 reviews
Positive71.7%
Neutral10.5%
Negative17.9%

a

All ratings553 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews387 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral9.6%
Negative12.1%

User reviews

Koder Code Editor

From 12K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Great for coding on the go
  • 👍 Clean and intuitive UI
  • 🚀 Efficient file management
  • 🚀 Supports multiple file formats
  • 🚀 Seamless cloud integration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
  • 🐛 Bugs when switching between apps
  • 🐛 File corruption and data loss
  • 🐛 Unreliable SFTP/SSH connections
  • 🐛 Lack of customization options

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

Koder Code Editor

Reported bugs

5 issues
  • Crashes when opening certain file types
  • Inability to rename or delete files
  • Inconsistent behavior when switching between apps
  • Sync issues with cloud storage providers
  • Performance degradation on larger files

Requested features

5 requests
  • Dark mode option
  • Improved Git integration
  • Terminal/console functionality
  • Support for more programming languages
  • Ability to disable line wrapping

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

None

Koder Code Editor

No in-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Koder Code Editor free?
Koder Code Editor is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Koder Code Editor or a?
Koder Code Editor and a are both rated 4.6 out of 5 on the App Store, from 12K and 553 ratings respectively.
Do Koder Code Editor or a have ads?
Neither Koder Code Editor nor a shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Koder Code Editor or a?
Koder Code Editor ships an update every 3 weeks, and a monthly. Most recently, Koder Code Editor was updated on October 12, 2026 and a on October 10, 2026.
Which is more popular, Koder Code Editor or a?
Koder Code Editor currently peaks at #29 in the App Store charts, and a at #18. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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