# a vs Terminal#

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: a at none against Terminal#'s 8. a also leads on update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months). Terminal#'s advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 78%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Terminal# sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.6 for a against 4.5 for Terminal#. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 120 and 153 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 78% of a's written reviews are positive against 91% of Terminal#'s.

a ships an update every 2 weeks, Terminal# every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | Terminal# |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943/reviews)** | [4.5 (153 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terminal/id1632249346/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 120 | **153** |
| Positive reviews | 77.8% of reviews | **91.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 weeks** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Paid** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | **#47** | #68 |
| Size | 373 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **14.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [Vasilii Shaidullin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423700543) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #47 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


### Terminal#

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terminal/id1632249346)

**Currently charting:** #68 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a secure and convenient way to manage your servers directly from your mobile device. It offers a powerful terminal interface for efficient server management on the go, with an intuitive design suitable for all users.

**Highlights:** Secure SSH connection, Convenient server management, Intuitive user interface, Mobile flexibility, Quick and efficient terminal

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Semi-annual | $8.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Two hundred connections | $2.99 | one-time |
| Five hundred connections | $3.99 | one-time |
| Eight hundred connections | $5.99 | one-time |
| A thousand connections | $7.99 | one-time |
| Infinity connections | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Easy to use
- 🚀 Reliable and stable
- 🔒 Secure remote access
- 💡 Useful keyboard shortcuts
- 👍 Clutter-free interface

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional bugs with text editor
- 🔒 Concerns about password storage
- 🔋 Issues with background operation

**Reported bugs**

- Freezing on login screen
- Compatibility issues with older devices
- Scrolling problems with on-screen keyboard

**Requested features**

- Add support for 2FA
- Improve text editor functionality
- Provide option to disable password storage


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is Terminal# free?

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

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

a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while Terminal# averages 4.5 from 153 ratings.

### Do a or Terminal# have ads?

Neither a nor Terminal# shows ads.

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

a ships an update every 2 weeks, and Terminal# every 5 months. Most recently, a was updated on October 14, 2026 and Terminal# on October 13, 2026.

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

a currently peaks at #47 in the App Store charts, and Terminal# at #68. 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.*