# a vs UsageNow

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against UsageNow's 2. a also leads on chart position (#20 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 17.0). UsageNow's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. UsageNow sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

a ships an update monthly, UsageNow every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 18, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | UsageNow |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (553 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell/id1473805438/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **553** | — |
| Positive reviews | 78.3% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Monthly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | Paid | — |
| Best chart rank | **#20** | — |
| Size | 1.9 GB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Guan Feng Lai](https://appshunter.io/developer/1136144960) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #20 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


### UsageNow

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/usagenow-ai-usage-tracker/id6818607603)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-Day Trial | Free | one-time |
| UsageNow Pro | $8.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is UsageNow free?

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

### Do a or UsageNow have ads?

Neither a nor UsageNow shows ads.

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

a ships an update monthly, and UsageNow every 2 days. Most recently, a was updated on October 17, 2026 and UsageNow on October 18, 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.*