Comparison

a vs MQTT Checker

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

Head to head
About

a

This app provides a local Unix terminal emulator for iOS devices, enabling users to run various Unix commands, edit files, and process data. It includes support for multiple programming languages and network utilities, with integration for iOS Shortcuts and multi-window functionality.

Highlights
  • Local Unix terminal emulator
  • Run Unix commands
  • File transfer (scp, curl)
  • Text editing (vim, ed)
  • Programming languages (Python, Lua, C)
  • Network utilities (ping, nslookup)
  • iOS Shortcuts integration
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

MQTT Checker

Features
Read full description

MQTT Checker is an amazingly simple application that quickly checks MQTT connections. This app helps users swiftly verify their ability to connect to MQTT servers. Users can easily input essential information such as ServerUrl or IP and ServerPort, and optionally configure ClientID, Broker Name, Topic, and Message. Key Features: Swift MQTT Server Connection Verification: MQTT Checker swiftly confirms the ability to connect to MQTT servers by allowing users to input ServerUrl or IP and ServerPort through a user-friendly interface. Additional Configuration Options: Optionally set ClientID, Broker Name, Topic, and Message to tailor MQTT connection tests to your preferences. Concise Notifications: Upon successful connection to the MQTT server, clear and concise notifications inform users. Error Messages on Failure: In case of failed MQTT server connections, display error messages to quickly identify issues.

Screenshots

a4 screens
MQTT Checker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: a at #22 against MQTT Checker's unranked. MQTT Checker's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
a versus MQTT Checker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraMQTT Checker
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (570 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.4% of reviews—
Number of ratings570 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#22 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size2.1 GB38 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas HolzschuchDreamNexus

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

MQTT Checker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

None

MQTT Checker

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MQTT Checker free?
MQTT Checker is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do a or MQTT Checker have ads?
Neither a nor MQTT Checker shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a or MQTT Checker?
a ships an update monthly, and MQTT Checker monthly. Most recently, a was updated on November 7, 2026 and MQTT Checker on November 3, 2026.

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