# a vs BASIC

The clearest difference is price: a at Free against BASIC's $11.99. a also leads on rating (4.6 vs 4.2) and ratings volume (553 vs 17). BASIC's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 14.0). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

a is free to download; BASIC costs $11.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 17, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 68% of BASIC's.

a ships an update monthly, BASIC every 2 months. Both last shipped on October 14, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | BASIC |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $11.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | [4.2 (17 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-programming-language/id1540244170/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 17 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 68.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #108 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 135 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Nikolay Denislamov](https://appshunter.io/developer/505796639) |

## 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


### BASIC

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basic-programming-language/id1540244170)

**Currently charting:** #108 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Create and publish your own applications directly on your iOS device using an extended BASIC programming language. Features include a rich interface, advanced graphics, sound capabilities, and hardware support.

**Highlights:** Create standalone apps for App Store, Rich user interface elements, Advanced graphics and animation, Comprehensive sound and music support, Hardware sensor integration, Networking and file management, Customizable IDE with documentation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is BASIC free?

BASIC costs $11.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while BASIC averages 4.2 from 17 ratings.

### Do a or BASIC have ads?

Neither a nor BASIC shows ads.

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

a ships an update monthly, and BASIC every 2 months. Most recently, a was updated on October 14, 2026 and BASIC on October 14, 2026.

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

a currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and BASIC at #108. 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.*