# Jayson vs a

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Jayson's 1. a also leads on iOS requirement (14.0 vs 26.0). Jayson's advantage is ratings volume (425 vs 120). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Jayson sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

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 120 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Jayson's written reviews are positive against 78% of a's.

Jayson ships an update every 3 weeks, a every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Jayson | a |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (425 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jayson/id1447750768/reviews) | **[4.6 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **425** | 120 |
| Positive reviews | **80.7% of reviews** | 77.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #95 | **#41** |
| Size | 41 MB | 373 MB |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | **14.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) |

## What reviewers say

### Jayson

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/jayson/id1447750768)

**Currently charting:** #95 Top Free · Developer Tools, #151 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock Everything | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 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

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 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

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- Search/find functionality within files
- JSON editing and modification capabilities
- XML format support
- Split-view for comparing different arrays
- Export functionality for edited JSON


### a

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Run Unix commands locally on your iOS device with a powerful terminal emulator. Supports file transfer, editing, scripting with Python and Lua, and network utilities. Integrates with Shortcuts and supports multiple windows for multitasking.

**Highlights:** Local Unix terminal emulator, SSH client, File transfer (scp, curl), Text editing (vim, ed), Scripting (Python, Lua, JavaScript), Network utilities (nslookup, ping), Shortcuts integration, Multi-window support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for shortcuts
- 🚀 Efficient and functional
- 💡 Useful for IT tasks
- ✨ Free and awesome
- 💻 Good for remote server connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Font size not adjustable
- 🐛 Keyboard icons too large
- 🐛 App deletes itself
- 🐛 Rotating screen scrambles display
- 🐛 Pasting text shows strange characters

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard icons comically large
- App deletes itself
- Rotating iPhone/iPad scrambles display
- Pasting text results in strange characters
- App only uses half of the screen when editing files

**Requested features**

- Option to use old keyboard buttons
- Add openssl support
- Add libx265 codec for ffmpeg
- Support telnet command
- Add possibility to compile from source


## Frequently asked 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 120 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 every 2 weeks. Most recently, Jayson was updated on October 13, 2026 and a on October 14, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Jayson or a?

Jayson currently peaks at #95 in the App Store charts, and a at #41. 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.*