Comparison

a vs SSHive

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

Head to head
About

a

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
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

SSHive

This app provides comprehensive remote access to servers and desktops, supporting SSH, SFTP, RDP, VNC, and VPN. Manage files, open terminals, and control remote machines securely from your iPhone or iPad.

Highlights
  • SSH terminal access
  • SFTP file management
  • RDP and VNC remote desktop
  • Built-in VPN
  • Secure credential management
  • iCloud sync
  • Face ID/Touch ID protection
Features
Read full description

SSHive is the all-in-one remote access client for iPhone and iPad — SSH, SFTP, RDP, VNC and a built-in VPN in one fast, private, native app. Manage your servers, open a full terminal, transfer files, and control remote Windows, macOS and Linux desktops from anywhere. SUPPORTED PROTOCOLS • SSH — full terminal (SwiftTerm), key & password auth • SFTP — browse, upload, download and manage files • RDP — Remote Desktop to Windows PCs and servers • VNC — screen sharing for macOS and Linux • OpenVPN — open a secure tunnel before you connect KEY FEATURES • Touch-optimized mouse & keyboard for RDP and VNC • SSH key generation, import and management • Port forwarding / SSH tunnels • Command snippets and history • Shared credentials reused across profiles • Folders to organize your connections • Face ID / Touch ID protection for every secret • iCloud sync of profiles and keys across your devices • Import / export your connections (.sshive) • Native SwiftUI design for iPhone and iPad, light & dark NETWORK TOOLS • Ping — test host reachability • DNS Lookup — resolve domain names • Traceroute — trace the network path • Whois — domain registration info • MX Lookup — a domain's mail servers • Blacklist Check (DNSBL) — see if an IP is blacklisted • Network interfaces — local IP, netmask and active interfaces PRIVACY FIRST Your passwords and keys live in the iOS Keychain, protected by Face ID / Touch ID. Nothing goes through our servers — connections run straight from your device to yours. FREE & PRO Use SSHive for free with core SSH access. Upgrade to Pro to unlock RDP, VNC, VPN, unlimited sessions and profiles, tunnels, broadcast, shared accounts and more. Whether you are a developer, sysadmin or DevOps engineer, SSHive puts your whole infrastructure in your pocket.

Screenshots

a4 screens
SSHive4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against SSHive's 1. a also leads on ratings volume (553 vs 1) and chart position (#18 vs unranked). SSHive's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and review sentiment (100% vs 78%). 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. SSHive sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SSHive 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 point the same way: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 100% of SSHive's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

a ships an update monthly, SSHive every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
a versus SSHive: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraSSHive
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (553 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings553 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB23 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas HolzschuchNetMeSafe

Customer experience

a

All ratings553 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews387 reviews
Positive78.3%
Neutral9.6%
Negative12.1%

SSHive

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

SSHive

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

SSHive

One-time1
  • SSHive Pro$8.99

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SSHive free?
SSHive is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, a or SSHive?
SSHive is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while SSHive averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do a or SSHive have ads?
Neither a nor SSHive shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a or SSHive?
a ships an update monthly, and SSHive every 3 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on October 12, 2026 and SSHive on September 30, 2026.

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