Comparison

Shellular vs AI

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Shellular

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
Read full description

Shellular lets you code from your phone, using the computer or VPS you already develop on. Run AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, Copilot, OpenCode, and Pi. Use a full terminal, browse and edit files, review Git changes, open localhost, debug websites, and keep an eye on your machine — all from your phone. Getting started takes seconds: open Shellular on your computer, scan a QR code, and you're connected. No SSH setup. Just your development environment, in your pocket. Secure, fast, and built for developers who don't want to be tied to their desk.

About

AI

Edit Markdown, code, and configuration files directly in iCloud Drive or Files App. Collaborate with large language models for text modification, code generation, and content creation. Features include version control, prompt libraries, and AI-powered content refinement.

Highlights
  • AI-assisted text editing and content generation
  • Direct editing in iCloud Drive and Files App
  • Support for over 70 large language models
  • Local version control for files
  • Extensive Markdown preview and export options
  • AI-generated illustrations and presentations
  • Multi-language support and keyboard shortcuts
Features
Read full description

AI-IDE is a lightweight editor for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Edit Markdown, code, and config files inside iCloud Drive or any Files folder — and work with the LLM of your choice without leaving the document. KEY FEATURES • Mark up the preview, let AI edit — Tap a spot or select a passage and say what to change. Queue marks, send one batch, review one diff. • Bring your own AI — Anthropic, Gemini, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Groq, Mistral, any API-compatible endpoint, local Ollama, or an AISA key for 70+ models. 16 one-tap presets. No built-in account or key: nothing runs until you add one. • You approve every change — Edits show a diff first; nothing is written until you tap Apply, and overwrites are snapshotted. • Multi-tab editor — Syntax highlighting for 10 languages, line numbers, autosave, find & replace. • Rich Markdown preview — Outline navigation, in-document search, reading progress with resume, code copy, task checkboxes, light/dark themes. • Office files and PDFs, both ways — Export to PDF, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint on device; "AI Refine" turns a document into slides, using your own .pptx as the master and Brand Kits for colours, fonts, and logo. Open a .docx, .xlsx, .pptx, or PDF to edit in place, formatting kept. • AI illustrations — One prompt draws an illustration at the cursor with your own image model; it flows into PDF, Word, and PowerPoint. Decks can auto-illustrate. • Built-in data tools — 35 the AI calls itself: web pages, academic papers, US financials and SEC filings, crypto prices, X posts, prediction markets, Perplexity. Switched on by category, with the token cost shown. HTTPS-only and host-whitelisted; your key is injected on device, never seen by the model. • Prompt Library — Activate several presets at once, merged in your order with a size meter. Three research procedures are built in; add more from the library or GitHub. • KB Library — File a document once and reference it as often as you like: type ~ to attach one, or let the AI search the library and read only the passage it needs. Ranked search working in Chinese and says so when nothing matches. • Share what you tune — Prompts, export styles and KB entries export as files. Install from the built-in library or add a source: any public GitHub repo or page. Updates are flagged, never automatic, and an edited copy is never overwritten. • Tool-using AI — Reads, searches, and writes workspace files. Optional web search via Brave, Tavily, Perplexity, or AISA. • Files done right — Open files from anywhere; create, rename, move, duplicate, delete; multiple pinned workspaces. • Local version control — Snapshot, diff, and revert on device: no git account, history never leaves it, instant in huge folders. Auto-commit optional. • Reliable by default — Suggests the right model for the job; dropped streams resume without re-sending the conversation. • Multimodal — Attach files, photos, or clipboard images. Vision models get them directly; PDF / DOCX / PPTX / XLSX are transcribed. • Trilingual — Full UI in English, 繁體中文, 简体中文; switch without a restart. • iPad and Mac — Three-pane Split View on iPad and Mac, tabs on iPhone, a full Mac menu bar and keyboard shortcuts. PRIVACY • API keys live in the Keychain (device-only). Your content goes straight to the endpoints you configure — no proxy, no telemetry. Chat history is local. REQUIREMENTS • iOS / iPadOS 17.0 or later, or macOS 14.0 or later. You provide the API keys for the services you use. For support, send mail to sportusagi@gmail.com. AI-IDE Pro is an auto-renewable subscription. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period; manage or cancel it in your Apple ID account settings. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.termsfeed.com/live/92fad2c6-6901-4de6-9110-e4aa7aa1f7d8

Screenshots

Shellular4 screens
AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

Shellular and AI both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Shellular's written reviews are positive against 0% of AI's. Shellular also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and ratings volume (6 vs 1). On price, rating, update cadence and ads 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. AI sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $0.99 per month. Shellular asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Shellular against 5.0 for AI. 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: 100% of Shellular's written reviews are positive against 0% of AI's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shellular ships an update every 4 days, AI every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
Shellular versus AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellularAI
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 4 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS18.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB20 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperFoxbiz Software Private LimitedChun Chen

Customer experience

Shellular

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

AI

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral100.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Shellular

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

AI

Subscriptions1
  • AI-IDE Pro7 Days trial$0.991 Month

Questions

Is Shellular free?
Shellular is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is AI free?
AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shellular or AI?
Shellular and AI are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 6 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Shellular or AI have ads?
Neither Shellular nor AI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shellular or AI?
Shellular ships an update every 4 days, and AI every 5 days. Most recently, Shellular was updated on October 6, 2026 and AI on October 12, 2026.

Other comparisons