# a vs ClearJSON

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against ClearJSON's 3. a also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#26 vs unranked). ClearJSON's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). On price and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. ClearJSON sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

a ships an update monthly, ClearJSON every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on November 11, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | ClearJSON |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (575 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **575** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 10 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#26** | — |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Grove OU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1819044273) |

## What reviewers say

### a

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438)

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** 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


### ClearJSON

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/clearjson/id6771809186)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ClearJSON Small Support | $0.99 | one-time |
| ClearJSON Medium Support | $2.99 | one-time |
| ClearJSON Large Support | $4.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is ClearJSON free?

ClearJSON is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do a or ClearJSON have ads?

ClearJSON shows ads; a does not.

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

a ships an update monthly, and ClearJSON every 10 days. Most recently, a was updated on November 11, 2026 and ClearJSON on November 5, 2026.

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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.*