Comparison

a vs RemoteIDE

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

RemoteIDE

Execute code and AI prompts directly from your mobile device on your local development environment. Supports multiple AI models and offers real-time syncing of responses and chat history. Enables Git operations and voice input for a seamless remote coding experience.

Highlights
  • Execute AI prompts on paired Mac
  • Real-time response syncing
  • Supports Cursor, Claude Code, Codex
  • Multi-Agent mode
  • Full chat history sync
  • Voice input for prompts
  • Git operations from phone
Features
Read full description

Run your coding workflow from iPhone and iPad. Remote IDE lets you send prompts from mobile and execute them on your paired Mac companion app inside your real project workspace, with responses synced in real time. Remote IDE supports Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex through your own local or self hosted setup, including Tailscale. Your prompts run through your configured tools and repository context on your machine. Features - Unlimited AI prompts - no daily caps - Code from anywhere (Tailscale supported) - Multi-Agent mode - run Cursor + Claude + Codex in parallel - Full chat history sync across devices - Quick Prompts with custom templates - Priority live bridge streaming - Voice input - dictate prompts hands-free - Git operations - stash, branch, push from your phone Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Cursor, Anthropic, OpenAI, or any related products including Cursor, Claude Code, and Codex. All product names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Pro plans unlock unlimited usage and advanced workflows. Subscriptions are managed by Apple ID. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

a4 screens
RemoteIDE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against RemoteIDE's 2. a also leads on ratings volume (553 vs 2) and chart position (#19 vs unranked). RemoteIDE's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, 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. RemoteIDE sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per 7 days. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

RemoteIDE 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 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
a versus RemoteIDE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraRemoteIDE
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (553 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings553 — better2
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#19 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB62 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas HolzschuchChalla Somesh

Customer experience

a

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

RemoteIDE

All ratings2 ratings
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

RemoteIDE

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

RemoteIDE

Subscriptions2
  • RemoteIDE Weekly Pro$5.997 Days
  • RemoteIDE Annual Pro$49.991 Year

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is RemoteIDE free?
RemoteIDE is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, a or RemoteIDE?
RemoteIDE is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while RemoteIDE averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.
Do a or RemoteIDE have ads?
Neither a nor RemoteIDE shows ads.

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