# a vs MQTT Checker

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.

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

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

## The numbers

| Metric | a | MQTT Checker |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (570 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **570** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Monthly |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#22** | — |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 38 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [DreamNexus](https://appshunter.io/developer/1602135238) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #22 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** 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


### MQTT Checker

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/mqtt-checker-mqtt-connection/id6450397057)

**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 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*