JettDB vs Pier Shell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side β with what reviewers say about each.
JettDB
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JettDB is the JSON editor people reach for first. Whether you're a developer wrangling API responses, a data analyst cleaning up a messy export, or someone who just opened a .json file for the first time and wants to actually read it, JettDB makes JSON approachable on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A visual tree editor lets you expand, collapse, edit, and rearrange JSON without touching a single bracket. A syntax-highlighted text editor sits one tap away for when you'd rather type. Toggle between them at will β your document stays the same. QUERY WITHOUT THE LEARNING CURVE Build jq-style queries by pointing and clicking. Pick an operation from a curated list β select, map, filter, group, sort, flatten, unique, and dozens more β and JettDB shows you the result instantly. Save the pipelines you use often to a personal library. The Ask in plain English pane understands phrases like "books with rating over 4" or "append a new tag to every entry." EDIT IN BULK Mass-edit operations let you add, rename, delete, or change fields across an entire document in one pass. Every change previews before it lands, and undo is always one tap away. FIND DUPLICATE RECORDS Point at any array of records, pick a field, and JettDB flags every group that shares a value β perfect for catching copy-paste mistakes in ids, names, or ISBNs. COMPARE, VALIDATE, AND CONVERT Side-by-side diff highlights exactly what changed between two documents. JSON Schema validation flags structural issues with clear, plain-language errors, and schema inference builds a starting schema from any document with one tap. Import from JSON, JSON Lines, the clipboard, or a URL; export to JSON, CSV, YAML, or XML, or send a document by email. BUILT FOR THE APPLE ECOSYSTEM Native SwiftUI on every device. iCloud sync keeps your library in step across iPhone, iPad, and Mac. The Mac build ships full menu bar support, middle-click autoscroll, and keyboard shortcuts for everything. Dynamic Type, VoiceOver, and high-contrast support are first-class β not afterthoughts. JSON5 SUPPORT Comments, trailing commas, unquoted keys, single quotes β JettDB reads and writes JSON5 when you want it to, and stays strict when you don't. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT Your documents live in your iCloud, not ours. No analytics, no tracking, no account required. Nothing leaves your device unless you choose to share it. A bundled sample library shows you the ropes; the in-app help is searchable, and the tutorial tips and jq cheat sheet are written for humans, not parsers. JettDB. The JSON editor people reach for first.
Pier Shell
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No separate account required Pier works with your existing iCloud account to keep supported data synchronized across your Apple devices. Thereβs no Pier registration, username, or password to manage. Pier is a native SSH and SFTP client built for developers who want a simple, fast way to access their servers from iPhone and Mac. Add your hosts once and keep them synced privately through iCloud. Connect to production, staging, personal servers, Raspberry Pis, and more without rebuilding your setup on every device. Pier is designed to feel at home on Apple platforms, with a clean native interface, fast terminal performance, and secure key handling.
Screenshots
Verdict
JettDB and Pier Shell are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters β price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them β neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | JettDB | Pier Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | β | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 26.5 | 26.5 |
| Further details β not scored | ||
| Size | 3 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Gale Wolfenbarger | Muhamad Nur Asyraaf |
In-app purchases
JettDB
No in-app purchases
Pier Shell
No in-app purchases








