Comparison

a vs Terminal#

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

a

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
Read full description

a-Shell is a complete local terminal emulator, allowing to run most Unix commands on your iOS device. You can transfer files using scp and curl, edit them with vim and ed, process them using grep, awk and sed. You can work with git repositories using lg2.  Most commands are compiled for iOS native Arm64 format, making them fast and well integrated with the BSD Unix that powers iOS/iPadOS. a-Shell includes Python, Lua, Perl, JavaScript, C, C++ for programming and TeX (texlive 2025, with Tikz and LuaTeX) for text processing. There are also multiple network utilities: nslookup, ping, whois, ifconfig... Type help for help, help -l to get the full list of commands. a-Shell can be controlled from Shortcuts: run commands in order, process files in a-Shell, get the results as text or files, transfer files to other apps... a-shell uses iOS 13+ “multiple windows” ability, so you can run multiple shells at the same time, with different commands, in different directories. You can edit a file in one window with vim and process it in the other with python. Compile your C or C++ programs to webAssembly using clang or clang++, and execute the resulting binary. A complete webAssembly SDK is included (WASI-libc). a-Shell is the complete version. If you need a smaller app, and you don't need a C compiler, a TeX engine, or numpy and matplotlib, there is a-Shell mini.

About

Terminal#

This app provides a secure and convenient way to manage your servers directly from your mobile device. It offers a powerful terminal interface for efficient server management on the go, with an intuitive design suitable for all users.

Highlights
  • Secure SSH connection
  • Convenient server management
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Mobile flexibility
  • Quick and efficient terminal
Features
Read full description

Terminal#: An SSH client for securely managing your servers right from your mobile device. Features: Secure Connection: Allows securely connecting to your servers using the SSH protocol, ensuring secure data transmission. Convenient Management: The powerful terminal interface enables you to quickly and efficiently manage your servers regardless of your location. Intuitive Interface: A simple and intuitive interface makes using the app easy even for beginners. Mobile Flexibility: Enables you to manage your servers directly from your mobile device, providing flexibility and convenience in your work. Whether you're a system administrator, developer, or simply need a convenient way to manage your servers on the go, Terminal# provides a secure and efficient solution for your mobile device. Additional subscription information: You can cancel your subscription at any time through your Apple ID settings in iTunes and the App Store. All prices include local sales taxes. Payment will be made from your iTunes account after purchase confirmation. The subscription will automatically renew unless you disable auto-renewal at least 24 hours before the current period ends. The renewal fee will be charged to your account within 24 hours before the current period ends, specifying the renewal cost. You can manage your subscriptions and disable automatic renewal by going to your account settings after purchase. Cancellation of the current subscription is not available during the active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription to this publication. Please review our privacy policy and terms of use: End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.making-app.com/remterm/

Screenshots

a4 screens
Terminal#4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Terminal#'s 8. a also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (553 vs 153). Terminal#'s advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 79%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Terminal# sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for a against 4.5 for Terminal#. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 553 and 153 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 79% of a's written reviews are positive against 91% of Terminal#'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

a ships an update monthly, Terminal# every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 29, 2026 and September 27, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
a versus Terminal#: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraTerminal#
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (553 ratings) — better4.5 (153 ratings)
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews91.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings553 — better153
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaid — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#19 — better#75
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB6 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas HolzschuchVasilii Shaidullin

Customer experience

a

All ratings553 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral10.2%
Negative11.2%

Terminal#

All ratings153 ratings
Positive87.6%
Neutral3.3%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews240 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.8%

User reviews

a

From 553 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Powerful terminal with Linux commands
  • 👍 Useful for programming and development
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 💡 Impressive capabilities for an iOS app
  • 👍 Helpful documentation and developer support

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🔍 Missing some basic terminal features
  • 🔍 Compatibility issues with certain packages

Terminal#

From 153 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Reliable and stable
  • 🔒 Secure remote access
  • 💡 Useful keyboard shortcuts
  • 👍 Clutter-free interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs with text editor
  • 🔒 Concerns about password storage
  • 🔋 Issues with background operation

Bugs and requests

a

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Terminal#

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing on login screen
  • Compatibility issues with older devices
  • Scrolling problems with on-screen keyboard

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for 2FA
  • Improve text editor functionality
  • Provide option to disable password storage

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

8 purchases

Terminal#

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Semi-annual$8.996 Months
  • Annual$19.991 Year
One-time5
  • Two hundred connections$2.99
  • Five hundred connections$3.99
  • Eight hundred connections$5.99
Show 2 more
  • A thousand connections$7.99
  • Infinity connections$9.99

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Terminal# free?
Terminal# is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, a or Terminal#?
a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while Terminal# averages 4.5 from 153 ratings.
Do a or Terminal# have ads?
Neither a nor Terminal# shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a or Terminal#?
a ships an update monthly, and Terminal# every 5 months. Most recently, a was updated on September 29, 2026 and Terminal# on September 27, 2026.
Which is more popular, a or Terminal#?
a currently peaks at #19 in the App Store charts, and Terminal# at #75. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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