# a vs Packet Sender

The clearest difference is price: a at Free against Packet Sender's $1.99. a also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 43%) and update cadence (monthly vs every 8 months). Packet Sender's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

a is free to download; Packet Sender costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Packet Sender holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 561 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 43% of Packet Sender's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

a ships an update monthly, Packet Sender every 8 months. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Packet Sender |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (561 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-sender-udptcphttp/id1558236648/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **561** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 42.9% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 8 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#22** | #81 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [NagleCode, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1338199853) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #22 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


### Packet Sender

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/packet-sender-udptcphttp/id1558236648)

**Currently charting:** #81 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This network utility allows users to send UDP, TCP, and SSL packets with mixed ASCII or HEX input. It also supports sending HTTP GET/POST requests and receiving unsolicited packets on chosen ports. Data can be copied and pasted in various formats, and desktop packets can be transferred via cloud.

**Highlights:** Send UDP, TCP, SSL packets, Mixed ASCII or HEX input, Send HTTP GET/POST requests, Receive unsolicited packets, Copy/Paste data in ASCII/HEX/RAW, Transfer desktop packets via cloud

**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 Packet Sender free?

Packet Sender costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, a or Packet Sender?

Packet Sender is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 561 ratings, while Packet Sender averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do a or Packet Sender have ads?

Neither a nor Packet Sender shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or Packet Sender?

a ships an update monthly, and Packet Sender every 8 months. Most recently, a was updated on October 22, 2026 and Packet Sender on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or Packet Sender?

a currently peaks at #22 in the App Store charts, and Packet Sender at #81. 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.*