# a vs Web Inspector

The clearest difference is rating: a at 4.6 against Web Inspector's 3.9. a also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 65%) and ratings volume (553 vs 152). Web Inspector's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, ads, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 553 and 152 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of a's written reviews are positive against 65% of Web Inspector's.

a ships an update monthly, Web Inspector weekly. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Web Inspector |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | [3.9 (152 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/web-inspector/id1584825745/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 152 |
| Positive reviews | **78.6% of reviews** | 65.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | #40 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 2 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [And a Dinosaur](https://appshunter.io/developer/475577301) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #19 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


### Web Inspector

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/web-inspector/id1584825745)

**Currently charting:** #40 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a suite of web development tools for Safari on mobile devices. Inspect and edit the DOM, view element styles, execute JavaScript commands, monitor network requests, and examine stored resources like cookies.

**Highlights:** DOM inspection and editing, Element style viewer, JavaScript console, Network request monitoring, Resource storage details

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Efficient web inspector
- 👍 Useful debugging tools
- 🔍 Helpful for web development
- 💡 Brings desktop-like functionality to mobile

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited functionality compared to desktop tools
- 🔍 Inconsistent performance
- 🔍 Difficult to use or navigate

**Reported bugs**

- Disappears when reloading webpage
- Doesn't work on newer iOS versions
- Doesn't load on crashed tabs
- Permissions issues

**Requested features**

- CSS editing capabilities
- Resizable panel
- Improved console functionality
- Better integration with Safari


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Web Inspector free?

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

### Which has better reviews, a or Web Inspector?

a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while Web Inspector averages 3.9 from 152 ratings.

### Do a or Web Inspector have ads?

Neither a nor Web Inspector shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or Web Inspector?

a ships an update monthly, and Web Inspector weekly. Most recently, a was updated on September 23, 2026 and Web Inspector on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or Web Inspector?

a currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Web Inspector at #40. 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.*