Comparison

Jayson vs a

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

Head to head
About

Jayson

This app allows you to view and edit JSON files directly on your device. It offers features like tabbed browsing, split-screen comparisons, and integration with Siri Shortcuts and the Share Sheet for easy JSON parsing and management.

Highlights
  • Browse JSON files
  • Table or syntax highlighted text view
  • Tabbed interface
  • Multiple splits for comparison
  • Siri Shortcuts integration
  • Share Sheet Actions
  • URL schemes
Features
Read full description

Jayson is a JSON viewer and editor for iPhone and iPad. Browse JSON as a structure, edit values, and save your changes back to the file. Whether you're inspecting an API response, checking a config file, or making a quick fix on the go, Jayson turns raw JSON into something you can actually read and change. BROWSE AND EDIT - Open JSON files stored on your device or in iCloud Drive. - Toggle between a structured table view and syntax highlighted text. - Add new values and keys, and save your changes back to the file. - Parse text or the contents of a URL from your clipboard into JSON. - Highlight a key from a child of an array to get a quick overview of your data. TABS, SPLITS, AND WINDOWS - Switch between files, or different objects in a single file, using tabs. - Compare JSON in a single file or across files using multiple splits. - Open multiple windows on the iPad. WORKS WITH SHORTCUTS Jayson integrates with Shortcuts, which comes in handy for debugging API calls, previewing JSON files, and building workflows around JSON. - Pass a response from Get Contents of URL to Jayson to see how it is structured. - Open JSON as a document you keep working on, or as a temporary preview. - Format JSON and hand the result to the next action, using spaces or tabs. FREE, WITH AN OPTIONAL UPGRADE Jayson's core functionality is free. Browsing, editing, saving, splits, Shortcuts, and working with up to two tabs at a time cost nothing. A one-time in-app purchase enables having more than two tabs open at once, switching between light and dark themes, and personalizing the app icon, accent color and type icons. One purchase, no subscription.

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

Jayson4 screens
a4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Jayson's 1. a also leads on chart position (#19 vs #97) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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. Jayson sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Jayson against 4.6 for a. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 425 and 553 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Jayson's written reviews are positive against 79% of a's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Jayson ships an update every 3 weeks, a monthly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Jayson versus a: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterJaysona
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.5 (425 ratings)4.6 (553 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.7% of reviews — better78.6% of reviews
Number of ratings425553 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterPaid
Best chart rank#97#19 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.014.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size41 MB1.9 GB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperSimon B. StøvringNicolas Holzschuch

Customer experience

Jayson

All ratings425 ratings
Positive85.4%
Neutral6.1%
Negative8.5%
Written reviews83 reviews
Positive80.7%
Neutral7.2%
Negative12.0%

a

All ratings553 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral10.2%
Negative11.2%

User reviews

Jayson

From 425 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Elegant and intuitive JSON editing interface
  • 🎯 Perfect for FNF mod development and updates
  • 📱 Excellent iOS implementation with native feel
  • 🔧 Powerful JSON manipulation capabilities
  • ⚡ Great Shortcuts and URL scheme integration

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Frequent crashes and instability issues
  • 🔋 High battery consumption and device heating
  • ❌ Missing search functionality
  • 📵 Safari browser support issues
  • 🔒 Limited free features, paywall for advanced 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

Jayson

Reported bugs

6 issues
  • App crashes when opening large JSON files (89MB+)
  • Crashes on regular use despite functionality
  • Device freezing for extended periods
  • Safari compatibility broken in recent updates
  • Navigation back through JSON structure is unreliable
Show 1 more
  • Accidental file exit when attempting to navigate

Requested features

9 requests
  • Search/find functionality within files
  • JSON editing and modification capabilities
  • XML format support
  • Split-view for comparing different arrays
  • Export functionality for edited JSON
Show 4 more
  • Comment recognition in JSON files
  • Plain text editor option
  • Improved file size handling for large documents
  • Better navigation controls on mobile devices

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

1 purchases

Jayson

One-time1
  • Unlock Everything$4.99
None

a

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Jayson free?
Jayson 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, Jayson or a?
a is rated higher. Jayson averages 4.5 out of 5 from 425 ratings, while a averages 4.6 from 553 ratings.
Do Jayson or a have ads?
Neither Jayson nor a shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Jayson or a?
Jayson ships an update every 3 weeks, and a monthly. Most recently, Jayson was updated on September 23, 2026 and a on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Jayson or a?
Jayson currently peaks at #97 in the App Store charts, and a at #19. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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