# a vs Hellosix

The clearest difference is ads: a at none against Hellosix's shown. a also leads on ratings volume (575 vs 3) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Hellosix's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.6) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, chart position and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hellosix holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 575 ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

a ships an update monthly, Hellosix weekly. Both last shipped on November 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Hellosix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (575 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellosix-sixcine/id6813368417/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **575** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 78.4% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Best chart rank | **#28** | #29 |
| Size | 2.1 GB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [朝阳 徐](https://appshunter.io/developer/6794357217) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #28 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


### Hellosix

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hellosix-sixcine/id6813368417)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Hellosix free?

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

### Which has better reviews, a or Hellosix?

Hellosix is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 575 ratings, while Hellosix averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do a or Hellosix have ads?

Hellosix shows ads; a does not.

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

a ships an update monthly, and Hellosix weekly. Most recently, a was updated on November 13, 2026 and Hellosix on November 13, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or Hellosix?

a currently peaks at #28 in the App Store charts, and Hellosix at #29. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*