Comparison

a vs SSHHIP

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

SSHHIP

A focused terminal client for developers to connect to their remote machines and resume existing tmux or herdr sessions. It offers secure authentication, a CommandDial for quick commands, and image transfer capabilities, all with a local-first design.

Highlights
  • Connect to remote hosts via SSH
  • Attach to existing tmux/herdr sessions
  • CommandDial for saved commands and keys
  • Image transfer to host over SFTP
  • Secure authentication options
  • Local-first design with iCloud sync option
Features
Read full description

SSHHIP is a focused iPhone and iPad terminal client for developers who keep real work running on their own machines. Add your Mac mini, workstation, or homelab host, connect with Automatic or direct SSH, and jump back into the tmux or herdr session you already use. SSHHIP is built for the small moments when you need to check a build, guide a coding agent, restart a process, or send one careful command while away from your desk. SSHHIP keeps the workflow familiar: - Save hosts you own or administer. - Connect directly, without a SSHHIP account or hosted relay. - Choose Automatic, direct SSH, or Mosh per host; Automatic uses Mosh when available and falls back to SSH. - Use Automatic authentication for Tailscale SSH or other hosts that accept keyless SSH, import an unencrypted or passphrase-encrypted OpenSSH Ed25519 or ECDSA private key, or generate a non-exportable Secure Enclave P-256 key. - Attach to existing tmux or herdr sessions with one tap. - Use the CommandDial for saved command snippets, common keys, sticky arrow D-pad navigation, directional pane focus in tmux or herdr, paste, selection, voice, keyboard control, and contextual multiplexer actions, with a resting-puck tap fallback to an organized full command menu where frequently used commands can be pinned. - Send a clipboard image or selected photos to your connected host over SFTP and insert their remote paths. - Optionally sync saved-host metadata across your Apple devices through your private iCloud database. - Keep imported credentials in the iOS Keychain and hardware-backed keys in the Secure Enclave. - Use a polished dark interface designed for terminal work. SSHHIP is local-first by design. There is no SSHHIP backend, no cloud vault, no analytics SDK, no advertising, and no tracking. Command snippets and command-menu pins stay on your device. Your host list also stays on your device unless you turn on saved-host iCloud sync. When enabled, saved-host metadata syncs through your private iCloud database; passwords, imported private keys, passphrases, and Secure Enclave key references still stay out of CloudKit. Automatic hosts can connect without a saved password when the SSH server allows it. Passwords and imported private keys that you save stay in Keychain. Secure Enclave private keys are non-exportable and never leave the hardware. Terminal traffic goes between your iOS device and the hosts you configure over SSH. When you choose Send Image, each selected image goes directly from your iOS device to that connected host over SFTP, and SSHHIP inserts the remote path into your terminal input line. SSHHIP is a one-time purchase. Every feature is free for one month, then you can buy the lifetime unlock once to keep using SSH, multiplexer shortcuts, themes, saved hosts, and client-side features. SSHHIP is narrow on purpose: a calm, native way to get back to your own terminal.

Screenshots

a4 screens
SSHHIP4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against SSHHIP's 1. a also leads on ratings volume (553 vs 12) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). SSHHIP's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs monthly) and review sentiment (100% vs 79%). On price, ads, chart position 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. SSHHIP sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SSHHIP holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 553 ratings behind it against 12, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of a's written reviews are positive against 100% of SSHHIP's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

a ships an update monthly, SSHHIP every 4 days. Both last shipped on September 23, 2026.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
a versus SSHHIP: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteraSSHHIP
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (553 ratings)4.9 (12 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings553 — better12
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFree with in-app purchases — better
Best chart rank#18 — better#39
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS14.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size1.9 GB17 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperNicolas HolzschuchKun Chen

Customer experience

a

All ratings553 ratings
Positive88.1%
Neutral4.5%
Negative7.4%
Written reviews294 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral10.2%
Negative11.2%

SSHHIP

All ratings12 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

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

SSHHIP

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

a

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

SSHHIP

One-time1
  • SSHHIP Lifetime Unlock$29.99

Questions

Is a free?
a is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is SSHHIP free?
SSHHIP is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, a or SSHHIP?
SSHHIP is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 553 ratings, while SSHHIP averages 4.9 from 12 ratings.
Do a or SSHHIP have ads?
Neither a nor SSHHIP shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a or SSHHIP?
a ships an update monthly, and SSHHIP every 4 days. Most recently, a was updated on September 23, 2026 and SSHHIP on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, a or SSHHIP?
a currently peaks at #18 in the App Store charts, and SSHHIP at #39. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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