# Meta vs ShellX

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShellX at none against Meta's 2. ShellX also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 2 months). Meta's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 15.1). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Meta sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month. ShellX asks for nothing beyond the download.

Meta ships an update every 2 months, ShellX every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 16, 2026 and September 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Meta | ShellX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 days** |
| Size | 80 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **12.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Renasnce Studios Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1590291709) | [Laurens van Leer B.V.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1796054354) |

## What reviewers say

### Meta

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meta-experiment-manager/id6443647707)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Meta Month | $9.99 | per month |
| Meta Year | $99.99 | per year |


### ShellX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shellx/id6758803722)

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Meta free?

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

### Is ShellX free?

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

### Do Meta or ShellX have ads?

Neither Meta nor ShellX shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Meta or ShellX?

Meta ships an update every 2 months, and ShellX every 3 days. Most recently, Meta was updated on September 16, 2026 and ShellX on September 6, 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.*