Comparison

a vs MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

a

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
Read full description

a-Shell is a complete local terminal emulator, allowing to run most Unix commands on your iOS device. You can transfer files using scp and curl, edit them with vim and ed, process them using grep, awk and sed. You can work with git repositories using lg2.  Most commands are compiled for iOS native Arm64 format, making them fast and well integrated with the BSD Unix that powers iOS/iPadOS. a-Shell includes Python, Lua, Perl, JavaScript, C, C++ for programming and TeX (texlive 2025, with Tikz and LuaTeX) for text processing. There are also multiple network utilities: nslookup, ping, whois, ifconfig... Type help for help, help -l to get the full list of commands. a-Shell can be controlled from Shortcuts: run commands in order, process files in a-Shell, get the results as text or files, transfer files to other apps... a-shell uses iOS 13+ “multiple windows” ability, so you can run multiple shells at the same time, with different commands, in different directories. You can edit a file in one window with vim and process it in the other with python. Compile your C or C++ programs to webAssembly using clang or clang++, and execute the resulting binary. A complete webAssembly SDK is included (WASI-libc). a-Shell is the complete version. If you need a smaller app, and you don't need a C compiler, a TeX engine, or numpy and matplotlib, there is a-Shell mini.

About

MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client

This utility helps IoT developers and network engineers debug, monitor, and analyze MQTT traffic. It offers advanced connectivity, full MQTT 5.0 support, and intuitive data visualization tools. Seamlessly integrates with major IoT platforms.

Highlights
  • Advanced connectivity (TCP, WebSockets, SSL/TLS)
  • MQTT 5.0 protocol support
  • Syntax highlighting for JSON, XML, text
  • Hex view for binary data
  • Real-time charts for numerical payloads
  • Chat-style message history
  • Broker compatibility with major platforms
Features
Read full description

MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client is a professional utility designed for IoT developers, network engineers, and smart home enthusiasts. Debug, monitor, and analyze your MQTT traffic with ease. Key Features • Advanced Connectivity: Support for TCP, WebSockets, and SSL/TLS (Certificates management included). • Protocol Support: Fully compatible with MQTT 3.1.1 and the latest MQTT 5.0 features (User Properties, Shared Subscriptions). • Data Visualization • Syntax highlighting for JSON, XML, and plain text. • Hex view for binary data inspection. • Real-time charts for numerical payloads. • Intuitive Interface: Chat-style message history makes tracking Publish/Subscribe flows simple. • Broker Compatibility: Works seamlessly with EMQX, Mosquitto, HiveMQ, AWS IoT, Azure, and Google Cloud IoT. • Supports dark mode and light mode • Support for displaying replies in hexadecimal or plain text • Support sending messages in hexadecimal format Why choose us? • Reliable: Keeps background connections alive (where supported) for continuous monitoring. • Flexible: Manage multiple broker profiles and switch between them instantly. • Insights: Filter messages by topic or content to find exactly what you are looking for. Perfect for debugging Home Assistant setups, Tasmota devices, or industrial PLC data. MQTT Pro Subscriptions You can subscribe for MQTT Pro Subscriptions to all features and content offered for purchase within the app. MQTT Pro offers subscriptions. The subscription prices are: (i) Monthly Subscription ($0.99 / Month) (ii) Yearly Subscription ($2.99 / Year) You can subscribe to a Monthly Subscription plan ($0.99 billed once a month) or a Yearly Subscription plan ($2.99 billed once a year). Payment will be charged to iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24-hours before the end of the current period. Account will be charged for renewal within 24-hours prior to the end of the current period, and identify the cost of the renewal. Subscriptions may be managed by the user and auto-renewal may be turned off by going to the user's Account Settings after purchase. The prices are in US dollars. Pricing in other countries may vary and actual charges may be converted to your local currency depending on the country of residence. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when the user purchases a subscription to that publication, where applicable. Our app is functional without purchasing an Auto-Renewable subscription, and you can use all the unlocked content after the subscription expires. Q: How do I restore the subscriptions on new devices? A: You can tap the 'Restore' button on the subscription page. Privacy Policy: https://www.whalesgrowth.top/pp/ Terms of Service: https://www.whalesgrowth.top/tos/

Screenshots

a4 screens
MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client's 3. a also leads on review sentiment (78% vs 60%) and chart position (#21 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

a ships an update monthly, MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
a versus MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraMQTT Debug & Analyzer Client
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (568 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better60.0% of reviews
Number of ratings568 — better—
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#21 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.015.0
Further details — not scored
Size2.1 GB18 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas Holzschuch小玲 王

Customer experience

a

All ratings568 ratings
Positive88.4%
Neutral4.6%
Negative7.0%
Written reviews392 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral9.4%
Negative12.2%

MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client

Written reviews5 reviews
Positive60.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative40.0%

Bugs and requests

a

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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 Debug & Analyzer Client

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client

Subscriptions2
  • MQTT Month Pro$2.991 Month
  • MQTT Yearly Pro$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • MQTT Lifetime Pro$5.99

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client free?
MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do a or MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client have ads?
Neither a nor MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a or MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client?
a ships an update monthly, and MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client every 3 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on November 3, 2026 and MQTT Debug & Analyzer Client on November 5, 2026.

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