a vs Saffron SSH
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
a
This app provides a local Unix terminal emulator for iOS devices, enabling users to run various Unix commands, transfer files, and edit them. It supports programming languages like Python and JavaScript, along with network utilities and image/video conversion tools.
- Local Unix terminal emulator
- File transfer (scp, curl)
- Text editing (vim, ed)
- Programming languages (Python, Lua, JavaScript)
- Network utilities (nslookup, ping)
- Image and video conversion (ffmpeg)
- Shortcuts integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
a-Shell mini is a complete local terminal emulator, allowing to run most Unix commands on you iOS device. You can transfer files using scp and curl, edit them with vim and ed, process them using grep, awk and sed. Work with git repositories using lg2. Most commands are compiled for iOS native Arm64 format, making them fast and well integrated with iOS underlying BSD Unix. a-Shell mini includes Python, Lua, JavaScript and webAssembly for programming and scripting. It also includes native ffmpeg and convert for fast image and video conversion. There are also multiple network utilities: nslookup, ping, whois, ifconfig... Type help for help, help -l to get the full list of commands. a-Shell mini can be controlled from Shortcuts: run commands in order, process files in a-Shell, get the results as text or files, transfer files to other apps... a-Shell mini uses iPadOS 13+ “multiple windows” ability, so you can run multiple shells at the same time, with different commands, in different directories. You can edit a file in one window with vim and process it in the other with python. a-Shell mini is a minimalist terminal, designed to have a very small footprint (less than 250 MB). If you need more commands, please consider a-Shell, which has more Python packages, more JavaScript modules, Perl, make, a C and C++ compiler and TeX.
Saffron SSH
A fast, native SSH client for iOS devices. It offers unlimited hosts, port forwarding, agent forwarding, and key management. Optional AI features and iCloud syncing for Pro users are available.
- Unlimited hosts and sessions
- Port forwarding (local, remote, SOCKS5)
- Agent forwarding
- Ed25519 key generation and import
- Snippets library and autocomplete
- iCloud sync for Pro users
- Mosh support for resilient sessions
Read full descriptionHide full description
Your servers, your keys, your phone. No account required — ever. Saffron SSH is a fast, native SSH client for iPhone and iPad. The features other apps hold back are simply here, free. WHAT'S FREE • Unlimited hosts and simultaneous sessions with tabs • Local, remote and dynamic (SOCKS5) port forwarding • Jump hosts / bastions • Agent forwarding — your phone is the agent, keys never leave the Keychain • Ed25519 key generation and key import, passphrase-protected keys included • Snippets library and history-based autocomplete • Per-host environment variables and startup commands • Hand-tuned themes, pinch-to-zoom, hardware keyboard shortcuts on iPad • Face ID app lock • Live Activities show session status on your Lock Screen, and sessions reconnect automatically when you return SAFFRON PRO Your hosts, keys and settings on every device, synced through your own iCloud — end-to-end encrypted by Apple. We run no servers for your data and never see it. That's why there is no account. Yearly, or pay once and own it forever. Plus Mosh: sessions that survive sleep, network changes and days away. Switch from Wi-Fi to cellular, lock your phone, come back tomorrow — your shell is exactly where you left it. Requires mosh-server on the host. SAFFRON AI — optional add-on Ask for the command you need in plain words, or have any command explained before you run it. Right in the terminal. PRIVACY, ACTUALLY No account. No telemetry. No analytics SDKs. Passwords and keys live in your device's Keychain and sync only through your own iCloud. Connections go straight from your device to your servers — no relay, no middle-man. Works with any OpenSSH-compatible server: Linux, BSD, macOS, routers, NAS boxes, Raspberry Pi, cloud VMs. Terms of Use: https://saffronsuite.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://saffronsuite.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: a at 77% against Saffron SSH's 0%. a also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 5) and chart position (#30 vs unranked). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Saffron SSH sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. a asks for nothing beyond the download.
| Parameter | a | Saffron SSH |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (124 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 77.4% of reviews — better | 0.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 124 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #30 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 380 MB | 7 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Nicolas Holzschuch | Upcastr Pty Ltd |
Customer experience
a
Saffron SSH
Bugs and requests
a
Reported bugs
12 issues- 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
Show 7 moreShow fewer
- Command not found errors for all commands
- App crashes on launch after update
- Cannot get own absolute path
- Cannot execute own programs
- App messes up .txt file association
- Trouble selecting characters to copy and paste
- No module named requests in shortcuts
Requested features
8 requests- Option to use old keyboard buttons
- Add openssl support
- Add libx265 codec for ffmpeg
- Support telnet command
- Add possibility to compile from source
Show 3 moreShow fewer
- Make Ubuntu default
- Add expansion of keys (e.g., echo {a..z})
- Adjustable font size
Saffron SSH
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
a
No in-app purchases
Saffron SSH
- Saffron AI (Monthly)7 Days trial$2.991 Month
- Saffron Pro (Yearly)7 Days trial$9.491 Year
- Saffron AI (Yearly)7 Days trial$24.991 Year
Show 1 moreShow fewer
- Saffron Everything (Yearly)7 Days trial$29.991 Year
- Saffron Pro Lifetime$29.99









