# Portable Dev vs Shellular

Portable Dev and Shellular both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Shellular's written reviews are positive against 50% of Portable Dev's. Shellular also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). Portable Dev's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.6). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Portable Dev sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $34.99 per month. Shellular asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Portable Dev against 5.0 for Shellular. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shellular has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 50% of Portable Dev's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shellular's.

Portable Dev ships an update every 2 days, Shellular every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Portable Dev | Shellular |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portable-dev/id6758861546/reviews) | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shellular/id6761985327/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **6** |
| Positive reviews | 50.0% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 days** | Every 4 days |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | **Free** |
| Size | 58 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **16.4** | 18.6 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Volter AI](https://appshunter.io/developer/1854210263) | [Foxbiz Software Private Limited](https://appshunter.io/developer/1879446516) |

## What reviewers say

### Portable Dev

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portable-dev/id6758861546)

This app provides a full software development environment on your phone, connecting to your computer for code execution. It integrates AI for coding assistance, GitHub, and testing, allowing you to build and manage projects from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Remote code execution on your computer, AI-powered coding assistance, GitHub repository management, Live localhost servers, Automated Playwright testing, AI-generated assets

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Portable Pro Monthly | $34.99 | per month |


### Shellular

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shellular/id6761985327)

Connect your phone to your development computer for a full terminal emulator, AI coding agents, and a file manager with Git integration. Access an in-app browser with DevTools and monitor system performance remotely. No SSH setup needed; simply scan a QR code.

**Highlights:** Encrypted remote connection, Full terminal emulator, AI coding agent integration, File manager with Git, In-app browser with DevTools, Real-time system monitoring

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Portable Dev free?

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

### Is Shellular free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Portable Dev or Shellular?

Portable Dev and Shellular are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do Portable Dev or Shellular have ads?

Neither Portable Dev nor Shellular shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Portable Dev or Shellular?

Portable Dev ships an update every 2 days, and Shellular every 4 days. Most recently, Portable Dev was updated on September 21, 2026 and Shellular on September 23, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*