# a vs Runestone Text Editor

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Runestone Text Editor's 1. Runestone Text Editor's advantage is ratings volume (2K vs 119). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Runestone Text Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for a against 4.7 for Runestone Text Editor. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Runestone Text Editor has 2K ratings behind it against 119, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 76% of Runestone Text Editor's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Runestone Text Editor |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.6 (119 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943/reviews) | **[4.7 (2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 119 | **2K** |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 76.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | #58 | **#41** |
| Size | 373 MB | 64 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Vision Pro** |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Simon B. Støvring](https://appshunter.io/developer/423532907) |

## What reviewers say

### a

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943)

**Currently charting:** #58 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Run Unix commands locally on your iOS device with a powerful terminal emulator. Supports file transfer, editing, scripting with Python and Lua, and network utilities. Integrates with Shortcuts and supports multiple windows for multitasking.

**Highlights:** Local Unix terminal emulator, SSH client, File transfer (scp, curl), Text editing (vim, ed), Scripting (Python, Lua, JavaScript), Network utilities (nslookup, ping), Shortcuts integration, Multi-window support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Great app for shortcuts
- 🚀 Efficient and functional
- 💡 Useful for IT tasks
- ✨ Free and awesome
- 💻 Good for remote server connection

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Font size not adjustable
- 🐛 Keyboard icons too large
- 🐛 App deletes itself
- 🐛 Rotating screen scrambles display
- 🐛 Pasting text shows strange characters

**Reported bugs**

- Keyboard icons comically large
- App deletes itself
- Rotating iPhone/iPad scrambles display
- Pasting text results in strange characters
- App only uses half of the screen when editing files

**Requested features**

- Option to use old keyboard buttons
- Add openssl support
- Add libx265 codec for ffmpeg
- Support telnet command
- Add possibility to compile from source


### Runestone Text Editor

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/runestone-text-editor/id1548193893)

**Currently charting:** #41 Top Free · Developer Tools, #48 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful plain text and code editor for iPhone and iPad. Offers syntax highlighting, line numbers, find and replace, and extensive customization options for developers and writers.

**Highlights:** Syntax highlighting for many languages, Customizable themes and fonts, Advanced find and replace, Line numbers and cursor location, Code formatting with Prettier.js, Multiple windows on iPad

**Features:** Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 💎 Excellent text editor
- 🚀 Smooth and responsive
- 🎨 Customizable themes and appearance
- 🔒 Secure file storage and sync
- 👍 Clean and intuitive interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or bugs
- 🔍 Difficulty navigating files/folders
- 📝 Limited functionality without premium
- 🔌 Performance issues on older devices
- 🔒 Difficulty accessing files in cloud storage

**Reported bugs**

- Disappearing files
- Difficulty pasting text
- Scroll position not saved
- Hangs on startup
- Trouble opening large files

**Requested features**

- Markdown preview
- Code folding
- Syntax highlighting for more languages
- Ability to run/execute code
- Multiple file/window support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Runestone Text Editor free?

Runestone Text Editor is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, a or Runestone Text Editor?

Runestone Text Editor is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 119 ratings, while Runestone Text Editor averages 4.7 from 2K ratings.

### Do a or Runestone Text Editor have ads?

Neither a nor Runestone Text Editor shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or Runestone Text Editor?

a ships an update every 2 weeks, and Runestone Text Editor every 2 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on September 21, 2026 and Runestone Text Editor on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or Runestone Text Editor?

a currently peaks at #58 in the App Store charts, and Runestone Text Editor at #41. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*