# a vs CodingKB

The clearest difference is review sentiment: a at 78% against CodingKB's 0%. a also leads on price (Free vs $1.99) and update cadence (monthly vs every 6 months). CodingKB's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CodingKB 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. Written reviews complicate that: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 0% of CodingKB's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

a ships an update monthly, CodingKB every 6 months. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | CodingKB |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $1.99 |
| Rating | [4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codingkb/id6740705541/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **553** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | **78.3% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 months |
| Monetization | Paid | Paid |
| Best chart rank | **#18** | #141 |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 18.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [杰 瓮](https://appshunter.io/developer/1653886638) |

## 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


### CodingKB

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/codingkb/id6740705541)

**Currently charting:** #141 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a specialized keyboard designed to streamline coding on mobile devices. It eliminates the need to frequently switch between character sets, offering direct access to essential symbols and numbers.

**Highlights:** Simplified coding workflow, Direct access to characters, numbers, and punctuation, Reduced need for keyboard switching, Enhanced mobile coding efficiency

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is CodingKB free?

CodingKB costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.

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

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

### Do a or CodingKB have ads?

Neither a nor CodingKB shows ads.

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

a ships an update monthly, and CodingKB every 6 months. Most recently, a was updated on October 10, 2026 and CodingKB on October 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or CodingKB?

a currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and CodingKB at #141. 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.*