# a vs Datark

The clearest difference is update cadence: Datark at every 3 days against a's monthly. a's advantage is chart position (#21 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

a ships an update monthly, Datark every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Datark |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (570 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **570** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#21** | — |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Ilya Baravoi](https://appshunter.io/developer/1866999615) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #21 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


### Datark

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/datark/id6775470298)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Datark free?

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

### Do a or Datark have ads?

Neither a nor Datark shows ads.

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

a ships an update monthly, and Datark every 3 days. Most recently, a was updated on November 7, 2026 and Datark 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.*