# a vs Rowden

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Rowden's 3. a also leads on chart position (#19 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). Rowden's advantage is device support (5 vs 3). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Rowden sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

a ships an update monthly, Rowden every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 4, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Rowden |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **553** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Monthly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#19** | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [HUGO ANATOLE PAUL MORICEAU](https://appshunter.io/developer/1845368412) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #19 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** 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


### Rowden

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rowden-postgres-client/id6789549233)

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium Monthly | $4.99 | per month |
| Premium Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Premium Lifetime | $79.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Rowden free?

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

### Do a or Rowden have ads?

Neither a nor Rowden shows ads.

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

a ships an update monthly, and Rowden every 6 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on October 4, 2026 and Rowden on October 1, 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.*