# a vs Arrayground

The clearest difference is monetization model: Arrayground at free against a's paid. Arrayground also leads on update cadence (every 5 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). a's advantage is ratings volume (553 vs 4) and chart position (#18 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

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

Arrayground holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 4, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of a's written reviews are positive against 100% of Arrayground's.

a ships an update monthly, Arrayground every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on September 23, 2026 and August 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Arrayground |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[4.8 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrayground/id6453522556/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 5 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Asakura](https://appshunter.io/developer/1699406481) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #18 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


### Arrayground

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/arrayground/id6453522556)

This app provides a mobile interface for interacting with CBQN and ngn/k libraries. It functions as a REPL (Read-Eval-Print Loop) for developers working with these specific programming environments on their mobile devices.

**Highlights:** Mobile REPL interface, CBQN library integration, ngn/k library integration, SwiftUI application, Works on iPhone and iPad

**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 Arrayground free?

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

### Which has better reviews, a or Arrayground?

Arrayground is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while Arrayground averages 4.8 from 4 ratings.

### Do a or Arrayground have ads?

Neither a nor Arrayground shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or Arrayground?

a ships an update monthly, and Arrayground every 5 days. Most recently, a was updated on September 23, 2026 and Arrayground on August 5, 2026.

---

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