a vs TrueCode
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
a
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.
- 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
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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.
TrueCode
A mobile code editor for real-world projects, supporting numerous languages with syntax highlighting and an integrated terminal. Collaborate with friends on projects and manage files seamlessly across devices.
- Syntax highlighting for dozens of languages
- Integrated terminal for file management
- Execute Python code directly
- Real-time file synchronization across devices
- Collaborative project editing with review
- Plugin support for editor expansion
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TrueCode is a professional mobile code editor and IDE designed to build real projects on your smartphone, tablet, and desktop. Coding no longer requires sitting at a desk; write, run, and sync your ideas the moment they strike. FEATURES • Advanced Code Editor: Syntax highlighting for Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, HTML/CSS, Java, C/C++, Swift, Kotlin, Go, PHP, SQL, and dozens more, featuring JetBrains Mono font for seamless readability. • Embedded Terminal: Full file management using ls, cd, mkdir, touch, rm, mv, cp commands and direct execution of real Python code via the terminal. • Cross-Device Sync: Real-time cloud access allows you to pick up right where you left off on your phone, tablet, or computer. • Real-Time Collaboration: Invite friends to your projects and manage code changes together with review-and-approve workflows and a notification center. • Flexible Plugin Support: Customize your editor to fit your needs and keep your projects and data entirely under your control. For questions and feedback: truecode.editor@gmail.com
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: TrueCode at 100% against a's 78%. TrueCode also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs monthly). a's advantage is chart position (#25 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
a ships an update monthly, TrueCode fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on November 3, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | a | TrueCode |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (568 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 568 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Monthly | Fortnightly — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #25 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 16.4 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2.1 GB | 46 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nicolas Holzschuch | Asmin Aktas |
Customer experience
a
TrueCode
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
TrueCode
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
a
No in-app purchases
TrueCode
No in-app purchases
