# a vs RestForge

The clearest difference is review sentiment: a at 78% against RestForge's 0%. a also leads on rating (4.6 vs 1.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On price, update cadence, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. RestForge sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. a asks for nothing beyond the download.

a holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: a has 120 ratings behind it against 4, 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 0% of RestForge's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 weeks. Both last shipped on September 25, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | a | RestForge |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.6 (120 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/a-shell-mini/id1543537943/reviews)** | [1.3 (4 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/restforge-api-client/id6746305017/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **120** | 4 |
| Positive reviews | **77.8% of reviews** | 0.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | Every 2 weeks |
| Monetization | Paid | **Free with in-app purchases** |
| Best chart rank | **#51** | — |
| Size | 373 MB | 83 MB |
| Requires iOS | 14.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Nicolas Holzschuch](https://appshunter.io/developer/1450994948) | [KHANG LE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1729052738) |

## What reviewers say

### a

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

**Currently charting:** #51 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


### RestForge

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/restforge-api-client/id6746305017)

This app allows developers to build, test, debug, and automate APIs directly from their mobile devices. It supports various HTTP methods, body types, and offers cloud sync, scripting, and SOAP support. Premium features include code export and an analytics dashboard.

**Highlights:** Send and test all HTTP methods, Support for multiple body types, Import from popular API tools, Cloud sync across 5 platforms, Pre & post-request JavaScript scripting, SOAP/WSDL support, Request scheduling

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Weekly | $2.99 | per 7 days |
| Monthly | $7.99 | per month |
| Yearly | $59.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is a free?

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

### Is RestForge free?

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

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

a is rated higher. a averages 4.6 out of 5 from 120 ratings, while RestForge averages 1.3 from 4 ratings.

### Do a or RestForge have ads?

RestForge shows ads; a does not.

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

a ships an update every 2 weeks, and RestForge every 2 weeks. Most recently, a was updated on September 25, 2026 and RestForge on September 25, 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.*