# a vs Nerd Font Installer

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Nerd Font Installer's 1. a also leads on ratings volume (570 vs 1) and chart position (#21 vs unranked). Nerd Font Installer's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Nerd Font Installer sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

Nerd Font Installer holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 570 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

a ships an update monthly, Nerd Font Installer every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 10, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Nerd Font Installer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (570 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerd-font-installer/id6782167550/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **570** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#21** | — |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Vision Pro |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Joseph Jones](https://appshunter.io/developer/1063017654) |

## 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


### Nerd Font Installer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerd-font-installer/id6782167550)

Install custom coding fonts with extensive glyphs on your Apple devices. Browse a catalog of popular families, preview ligatures and icons, and install directly through the system. Enjoy a private experience with no accounts or analytics.

**Highlights:** Install custom coding fonts, Browse extensive font catalog, Preview glyphs, ligatures, and icons, System-wide font installation, No accounts or analytics, One-time purchase for full access

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlock All Fonts | $3.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Nerd Font Installer free?

Nerd Font Installer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, a or Nerd Font Installer?

Nerd Font Installer is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 570 ratings, while Nerd Font Installer averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do a or Nerd Font Installer have ads?

Neither a nor Nerd Font Installer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or Nerd Font Installer?

a ships an update monthly, and Nerd Font Installer every 2 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on November 10, 2026 and Nerd Font Installer on October 31, 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.*