# a vs Advanced JSON Viewer

The clearest difference is price: a at Free against Advanced JSON Viewer's $1.99. a also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.3) and review sentiment (78% vs 40%). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

a is free to download; Advanced JSON Viewer costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 40% of Advanced JSON Viewer's.

a ships an update monthly, Advanced JSON Viewer every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Advanced JSON Viewer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | [3.3 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/advanced-json-viewer/id6739271287/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 40.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #191 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Acrogenesis LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1784592807) |

## 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


### Advanced JSON Viewer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/advanced-json-viewer/id6739271287)

**Currently charting:** #191 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This tool enhances JSON data viewing and editing within Safari and on your device. It offers beautiful formatting, syntax highlighting, and an interactive editor for efficient JSON management.

**Highlights:** Open and save JSON files, Beautiful JSON formatting, Syntax highlighting, Interactive editor, Light & dark modes, Error detection

**Features:** Safari Extension, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Advanced JSON Viewer free?

Advanced JSON Viewer costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, a or Advanced JSON Viewer?

a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while Advanced JSON Viewer averages 3.3 from 3 ratings.

### Do a or Advanced JSON Viewer have ads?

Neither a nor Advanced JSON Viewer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or Advanced JSON Viewer?

a ships an update monthly, and Advanced JSON Viewer every 6 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on October 17, 2026 and Advanced JSON Viewer on October 10, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or Advanced JSON Viewer?

a currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and Advanced JSON Viewer at #191. 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.*