# a vs JSON Tools

The clearest difference is review sentiment: a at 79% against JSON Tools's 0%. a also leads on price (Free vs $0.99) and chart position (#18 vs #115). JSON Tools's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

a is free to download; JSON Tools costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

a ships an update monthly, JSON Tools every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | JSON Tools |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $0.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **553** | — |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #115 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 30 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Mohammed Aadhil](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526081218) |

## What reviewers say

### 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


### JSON Tools

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/json-tools/id1526081216)

**Currently charting:** #115 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A comprehensive toolkit for developers to visualize, validate, convert, and generate code from JSON data. It offers features like interactive tree views, schema generation, and code export for multiple programming languages.

**Highlights:** Interactive Tree View and JSONPath querying, Convert JSON to XML, CSV, YAML, and more, Generate type-safe model classes for multiple languages, Auto-generate JSON Schema for validation, Dedicated JSON syntax keyboard overlay, Background processing for large datasets

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is JSON Tools free?

JSON Tools costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do a or JSON Tools have ads?

Neither a nor JSON Tools shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or JSON Tools?

a ships an update monthly, and JSON Tools every 10 days. Most recently, a was updated on September 29, 2026 and JSON Tools on September 19, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or JSON Tools?

a currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and JSON Tools at #115. 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.*