# a vs GitHub

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against GitHub's 4. a also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 63%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). GitHub's advantage is ratings volume (37K vs 553) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. GitHub sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

GitHub holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: GitHub has 37K ratings behind it against 553, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 79% of a's written reviews are positive against 63% of GitHub's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

a ships an update monthly, GitHub weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 26, 2026 and September 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | GitHub |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[4.8 (37K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/github/id1477376905/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 553 | **37K** |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 63.3% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #20 | **#2** |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 175 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [GitHub](https://appshunter.io/developer/429758986) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #20 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


### GitHub

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/github/id1477376905)

**Currently charting:** #2 Top Free · Developer Tools, #3 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Manage your code projects, review changes, and collaborate with your team on the go. This app allows you to stay updated with notifications, respond to issues, and browse files and code from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Browse notifications, Read, react, and reply to Issues and Pull Requests, Review and merge Pull Requests, Organize Issues with labels and assignees, Browse files and code, Discover trending repositories

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GitHub Pro | $3.99 | per month |
| Copilot Pro | $10.00 | per month |
| Copilot Pro+ | $39.99 | per month |
| Copilot Max | $99.00 | per month |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Great app design
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🚀 Fast and responsive
- 👍 Helpful for on-the-go tasks
- 🚀 Efficient for reviewing PRs and issues

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and stability issues
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to website
- 🔍 Difficult to navigate and find features
- 🔍 Lacks key features like code editing and wiki support
- 🔍 Intercepts GitHub links, forcing use of app

**Reported bugs**

- Login issues and inability to switch accounts
- Inconsistent behavior when navigating between app and website
- Notifications not always loading correctly
- Inability to view all files in large pull requests
- Crashes when trying to perform certain actions

**Requested features**

- Add support for multiple accounts
- Improve search and filtering capabilities
- Implement code editing and file management
- Integrate GitHub Actions and Insights
- Allow viewing and managing GitHub projects


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is GitHub free?

GitHub is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, a or GitHub?

GitHub is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while GitHub averages 4.8 from 37K ratings.

### Do a or GitHub have ads?

Neither a nor GitHub shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or GitHub?

a ships an update monthly, and GitHub weekly. Most recently, a was updated on September 26, 2026 and GitHub on September 28, 2026.

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

a currently peaks at #20 in the App Store charts, and GitHub at #2. 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.*