# Brook.app vs SSH Tunnel

The clearest difference is price: Brook.app at Free against SSH Tunnel's $9.99. Brook.app also leads on review sentiment (84% vs 46%) and rating (4.3 vs 4.0). SSH Tunnel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and chart position (#49 vs #167). On ratings volume, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Brook.app is free to download; SSH Tunnel costs $9.99 up front. Brook.app sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. SSH Tunnel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Brook.app holds the better App Store score, 4.3 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 177 and 148 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 84% of Brook.app's written reviews are positive against 46% of SSH Tunnel's.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 6 weeks. Both last shipped on November 2, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Brook.app | SSH Tunnel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.3 (177 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brookapp/id1216002642/reviews)** | [4.0 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-tunnel-vpn-and-socks5-proxy/id1260223542/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **177** | 148 |
| Positive reviews | **83.7% of reviews** | 46.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | #167 | **#49** |
| Size | 67 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | **15.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [TxThinking, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1634589596) | [Mobibean, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1142567045) |

## What reviewers say

### Brook.app

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/brookapp/id1216002642)

**Currently charting:** #167 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This cross-platform network tool requires server deployment. A paid subscription offers enhanced features to support ongoing development and project continuity.

**Highlights:** Cross-platform network tool, Client-server software, Server deployment required, Paid subscription for advanced features, Supports project continuity

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brook Plus | $1.99 | per month |
| Brook Plus | $49.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Perfect UDP support
- 🔒 Server information hiding capability
- 👍 Simple and intuitive interface
- 💪 Powerful network tool with extensive features
- 🌍 Cross-platform compatibility

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Frequent disconnections and auto-disconnects
- ⏱️ App crashes and performance degradation
- 📵 iOS 12 compatibility issues
- 🔌 VPN background process termination
- ❌ Limited app support (Instagram, YouTube, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook)

**Reported bugs**

- Frequent unexpected disconnections
- VPN process killed in background
- iOS 12.1 connection failures
- Connection button shows connected but not actually connected
- App crashes without warning

**Requested features**

- Server naming and alias functionality
- Auto-connect feature
- Global proxy toggle button
- Mac application version
- VPN support


### SSH Tunnel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-tunnel-vpn-and-socks5-proxy/id1260223542)

**Currently charting:** #49 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Securely manage SSH tunnels and port forwarding on your mobile device. Configure local SOCKS5 proxies and private tunnels to your own server, with support for various authentication methods and advanced traffic redirection rules.

**Highlights:** Local Port Forwarding, Dynamic Port Forwarding (SOCKS5 proxy), Password, Private Key, 2FA authentication, Multiple SSH Key support, Connection Export & Import, Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) file support

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

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Works well for SSH tunneling when used as intended
- 🌐 Supports SOCKS5 dynamic forwarding
- 🔐 Supports multiple SSH key formats
- 📱 Useful built-in browser for tunnel access
- ⚙️ Proxy auto-configuration (PAC) support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Cannot maintain SSH tunnel in background (30-second limit)
- ⚠️ App disconnects when switched to other applications
- 💰 Expensive for limited functionality ($7.99-$10)
- 🔄 Lacks transparency about iOS limitations in description
- 🌐 In-app browser leaks user IP address

**Reported bugs**

- 2FA login not working despite being advertised
- In-app browser unable to access localhost or local IP addresses
- Private key parsing issues (requires proper line endings)
- Connection drops frequently (every 5 minutes in some cases)
- App crashes unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Background app refresh capability
- VPN interface implementation for system-wide traffic routing
- Multiple simultaneous tunnels
- Tabs in built-in browser
- Remote port forwarding support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Brook.app free?

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

### Is SSH Tunnel free?

SSH Tunnel costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Brook.app or SSH Tunnel?

Brook.app is rated higher. Brook.app averages 4.3 out of 5 from 177 ratings, while SSH Tunnel averages 4.0 from 148 ratings.

### Do Brook.app or SSH Tunnel have ads?

Neither Brook.app nor SSH Tunnel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Brook.app or SSH Tunnel?

Brook.app ships an update every 6 weeks, and SSH Tunnel every 6 weeks. Most recently, Brook.app was updated on November 2, 2026 and SSH Tunnel on November 2, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Brook.app or SSH Tunnel?

Brook.app currently peaks at #167 in the App Store charts, and SSH Tunnel at #49. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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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.*