# a vs SSL Time

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against SSL Time's 2. a also leads on ratings volume (553 vs 1) and update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months). SSL Time's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SSL Time sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

SSL Time holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

a ships an update monthly, SSL Time every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | SSL Time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssl-time/id6504959264/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 3 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #195 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 10 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Erfan Reed](https://appshunter.io/developer/1347463370) |

## 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


### SSL Time

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssl-time/id6504959264)

**Currently charting:** #195 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app helps you monitor SSL certificate expiration dates for your websites, providing timely notifications before they expire. It offers visual status indicators and detailed certificate information, ensuring your website security remains intact.

**Highlights:** SSL certificate expiration monitoring, Timely expiration notifications (30, 14, 7, 3, 1 day), Visual status indicators (valid, approaching, expired), Website performance monitoring via ping checks, Detailed certificate information, Customizable notification settings, Dark mode support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| SSL Time - Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| SSL Time - Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is SSL Time free?

SSL Time is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, a or SSL Time?

SSL Time is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while SSL Time averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do a or SSL Time have ads?

Neither a nor SSL Time shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or SSL Time?

a ships an update monthly, and SSL Time every 3 months. Most recently, a was updated on October 12, 2026 and SSL Time on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or SSL Time?

a currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and SSL Time at #195. 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.*