# a vs TrueCode

The clearest difference is review sentiment: TrueCode at 100% against a's 78%. a's advantage is chart position (#25 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 7, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | TrueCode |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (570 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **570** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Fortnightly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#25** | — |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 46 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 16.4 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Asmin Aktas](https://appshunter.io/developer/1895561228) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #25 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


### TrueCode

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/truecode-code-editor-and-ide/id6792118793)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is TrueCode free?

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

### Do a or TrueCode have ads?

Neither a nor TrueCode shows ads.

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

a ships an update monthly, and TrueCode fortnightly. Most recently, a was updated on November 7, 2026 and TrueCode on November 5, 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.*