Comparison

a vs Dev Keyboard

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

Dev Keyboard

A terminal-styled keyboard designed for programmers, offering quick access to essential symbols and a PC-style layout. It supports multiple programming languages and prioritizes user privacy by not requiring full access.

Highlights
  • PC-style modifier row
  • One-tap developer symbols
  • Long-press for extra symbols
  • Multiple language packs
  • Terminal aesthetic
  • Privacy-first design
Features
Read full description

Dev Keyboard is a terminal-styled coding keyboard that puts the symbols you actually type one tap away. A PC-style layout (Esc, Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Cmd, Tab, Caps) sits above quick rows of developer symbols and brackets. FEATURES - PC-style modifier row and key layout - One-tap brackets and symbols: {} [] () => ; / \ | and more - Long-press letters for extra developer symbols - Language packs: JavaScript / TypeScript, Python, Java, C / C++, Kotlin - Terminal aesthetic: monospace, dark, distraction-free - Privacy-first: no Full Access required, nothing leaves your device Type code faster in any app - notes, chat, editors, terminals.

Screenshots

a4 screens
Dev Keyboard1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: a at 4.6 against Dev Keyboard's 1.0. a also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (553 vs 1). 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. Dev Keyboard sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.0. 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 67% of Dev Keyboard's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

a ships an update monthly, Dev Keyboard every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
a versus Dev Keyboard: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraDev Keyboard
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (553 ratings) — better1.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews78.3% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings553 — better1
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#18 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS14.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB11 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas HolzschuchAnshika Maurya

Customer experience

a

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

Dev Keyboard

All ratings1 ratings
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

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

Dev Keyboard

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

Dev Keyboard

One-time1
  • Remove Ads$1.99

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Dev Keyboard free?
Dev Keyboard is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, a or Dev Keyboard?
a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while Dev Keyboard averages 1.0 from 1 ratings.
Do a or Dev Keyboard have ads?
Neither a nor Dev Keyboard shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a or Dev Keyboard?
a ships an update monthly, and Dev Keyboard every 5 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on October 12, 2026 and Dev Keyboard on October 8, 2026.

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