a vs RemoteIDE
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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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.
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.
- 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
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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
Verdict
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
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.
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.
| Parameter | a | RemoteIDE |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (553 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 553 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Monthly | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Freemium — better |
| Best chart rank | #19 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 1.9 GB | 62 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nicolas Holzschuch | Challa Somesh |
Customer experience
a
RemoteIDE
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
a
No in-app purchases
RemoteIDE
- RemoteIDE Weekly Pro$5.997 Days
- RemoteIDE Annual Pro$49.991 Year









