# a vs nRF Device Firmware Update

The clearest difference is review sentiment: a at 78% against nRF Device Firmware Update's 20%. a also leads on rating (4.6 vs 2.7) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 9 months). nRF Device Firmware Update's advantage is monetization model (free vs paid). On price, ads, in-app purchases and chart position there is nothing between them.

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

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 2.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 120 ratings behind it against 9, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 20% of nRF Device Firmware Update's.

a ships an update every 2 weeks, nRF Device Firmware Update every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | nRF Device Firmware Update |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943/reviews)** | [2.7 (9 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-device-firmware-update/id1624454660/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **120** | 9 |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 20.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 9 months |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#55** | #119 |
| Size | 373 MB | 5 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 16.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Nordic Semiconductor ASA](https://appshunter.io/developer/497679114) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #55 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


### nRF Device Firmware Update

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nrf-device-firmware-update/id1624454660)

**Currently charting:** #119 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This application enables Over-The-Air Device Firmware Upgrade (OTA-DFU) for nRF5 devices using Bluetooth LE. It supports updating firmware in .zip format, prepared with the 'nrf util' tool.

**Highlights:** Over-The-Air Device Firmware Upgrade (OTA-DFU), Bluetooth LE connectivity, Supports nRF5x Series chips, Updates Secure or Legacy DFU bootloaders, Requires .zip firmware format, Uses 'nrf util' for firmware preparation

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is nRF Device Firmware Update free?

nRF Device Firmware Update is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, a or nRF Device Firmware Update?

a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while nRF Device Firmware Update averages 2.7 from 9 ratings.

### Do a or nRF Device Firmware Update have ads?

Neither a nor nRF Device Firmware Update shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, a or nRF Device Firmware Update?

a ships an update every 2 weeks, and nRF Device Firmware Update every 9 months. Most recently, a was updated on October 14, 2026 and nRF Device Firmware Update on October 17, 2026.

### Which is more popular, a or nRF Device Firmware Update?

a currently peaks at #55 in the App Store charts, and nRF Device Firmware Update at #119. 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.*