Expo Go vs a
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Expo Go
Build mobile applications using web technologies like JavaScript and React. This tool allows you to develop interactive experiences with gestures and graphics directly from your iOS device and computer. Some programming experience is recommended for optimal use.
- Build apps with web technologies
- Interactive gesture and graphics development
- JavaScript and React support
- iOS device and computer integration
- React Native 0.81.1 support
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Start learning to build projects using web technologies with just your iOS device. Expo Go is an educational developer tool for learning to create experiences with interactive gestures and graphics using JavaScript and React. Note: some basic programming experience is recommended. Technical specs: this version of Expo uses React Native 0.86
a
Run a full Unix-like terminal environment on your iOS device. Execute a wide range of commands, edit files, and even program using included interpreters and compilers. Supports multitasking and integration with Shortcuts.
- Local Unix terminal emulator
- SSH client
- File transfer (scp, curl)
- Text editing (vim, ed)
- Scripting languages (Python, Lua, Perl, JS)
- C/C++ compiler
- TeX distribution
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a-Shell is a complete local terminal emulator, allowing to run most Unix commands on your iOS device. You can transfer files using scp and curl, edit them with vim and ed, process them using grep, awk and sed. You can work with git repositories using lg2. Most commands are compiled for iOS native Arm64 format, making them fast and well integrated with the BSD Unix that powers iOS/iPadOS. a-Shell includes Python, Lua, Perl, JavaScript, C, C++ for programming and TeX (texlive 2025, with Tikz and LuaTeX) for text processing. 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 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 uses iOS 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. Compile your C or C++ programs to webAssembly using clang or clang++, and execute the resulting binary. A complete webAssembly SDK is included (WASI-libc). a-Shell is the complete version. If you need a smaller app, and you don't need a C compiler, a TeX engine, or numpy and matplotlib, there is a-Shell mini.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: a at none against Expo Go's shown. a also leads on review sentiment (79% vs 55%) and iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.4). Expo Go's advantage is monetization model (ad-supported vs paid) and rating (4.8 vs 4.6). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and chart position 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Expo Go holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Expo Go has 7.3K ratings behind it against 553, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 55% of Expo Go's written reviews are positive against 79% of a's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.
Expo Go ships an update fortnightly, a monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Expo Go | a |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.8 (7.3K ratings) — better | 4.6 (553 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 55.2% of reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 7.3K — better | 553 |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Monthly |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Paid |
| Best chart rank | #8 — better | #18 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.4 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 109 MB | 1.9 GB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Nametag | Nicolas Holzschuch |
Customer experience
Expo Go
a
User reviews
Expo Go
From 7.3K App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Smooth and fast development
- 👍 Great for testing apps on real devices
- 💡 Helpful for beginners and experts
- 🚀 Efficient development process
- 👍 Convenient and easy to use
Room to improve
- 🐛 Crashes and bugs after updates
- 🔒 Compatibility issues with older versions
- 🐛 Inability to open projects or scan QR codes
- 🐛 Persistent login and account issues
a
From 553 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 🚀 Powerful terminal with Linux commands
- 👍 Useful for programming and development
- 🔒 Secure and reliable
- 💡 Impressive capabilities for an iOS app
- 👍 Helpful documentation and developer support
Room to improve
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔍 Limited customization options
- 🔍 Missing some basic terminal features
- 🔍 Compatibility issues with certain packages
Bugs and requests
Expo Go
Reported bugs
4 issues- App crashes on startup
- Unable to connect to development server
- Persistent white screen issues
- Inability to delete or manage accounts
Requested features
4 requests- Bring back QR code scanning functionality
- Improve SDK compatibility and backward support
- Add more customization and configuration options
- Enhance debugging and error reporting tools
a
Reported bugs
3 issues- Toolbar buttons not accessible in portrait mode on some devices
- Pasting from clipboard can insert unexpected characters
- Sourcing certain script files causes crashes
Requested features
5 requests- Add support for package managers like Homebrew or APT
- Implement more advanced shell features like job control and better tab completion
- Integrate Git for version control
- Allow installing additional packages and libraries
- Improve clipboard and file management integration
In-app purchases
Expo Go
No in-app purchases
a
No in-app purchases
