Comparison

SSH Tunnel vs Code App

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

Head to head
About

SSH Tunnel

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
Read full description

SSH Tunnel is the easiest way to tunnel your traffic through your own SSH server on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Version 3.0 is a complete native rewrite with a new VPN engine: route ALL device traffic through your server, keep it running in the background, and reconnect automatically. The old foreground-only limitation is gone. TWO ENGINES - VPN engine: system-wide tunnel built on Apple's Network Extension. Works in the background, survives restarts, and restores itself after reboots and network changes (On Demand). - Proxy engine: a local SOCKS5 proxy with a PAC file for browsers, third-party apps, or sharing the tunnel with other devices on your Wi-Fi. Run several tunnels at once. FEATURES - Dynamic port forwarding (SOCKS5 proxy), like "ssh -D" - Local port forwarding, like "ssh -L 80:intra.example.com:80 gw.example.com" - Password, private key, and keyboard-interactive (2FA/OTP) authentication - Keys: ed25519, ECDSA, RSA (rsa-sha2), OpenSSH and PuTTY .ppk formats, import from file - Modern ciphers and OpenSSH 8.8+ compatibility - Host key fingerprint verification - In-app browser that uses the tunnel (iOS) - Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) URL with custom PAC rules - Live transfer statistics and connection logs - Connection export & import - Passcode & Face ID protection - Idle disconnect timer - Native menu bar app on macOS, included with your purchase - Dark mode. No ads, no subscriptions, no accounts. YOUR SERVER, YOUR DATA SSH Tunnel connects only to a server YOU provide. There are no accounts and no servers we operate: your traffic flows directly between your device and your own SSH server. We never see, collect, or sell any of it. You need your own SSH server to use this application. Support: support@ssh-tunnel-ios.com

About

Code App

This app offers a desktop-class code editing experience on iPadOS. It includes built-in runtimes for popular languages like Node.js, Python, and Java, along with advanced features such as autocompletion and Git integration.

Highlights
  • Desktop-class code editor
  • Built-in Node.js, Python, C, C++, PHP, Java runtimes
  • Autocompletion and language features
  • Local file system support
  • SSH/FTP remote connection
  • Embedded terminal
  • Git version control
Features
Read full description

Code App is a MIT-licensed desktop-class code editor for iPadOS with built-in Node.js, Python, C, C++, PHP and Java runtime. We built it because there is nothing else on the App Store provides all these features in one app: * A robust, high-performance text editor (Monaco Editor from Visual Studio Code) * Autocomplete, static code analysis and other language features for Python & Java * First class local file system support * Extensive local language support * SSH / FTP remote connection support (Files and terminal) * Embedded emulated terminal * Git Version Control * Package manager support (pip and npm) * Markdown, themes, server-side snippet execution and more Read Code App's documentation: code.thebaselab.com See the project's source code, roadmap, discussion on GitHub: github.com/thebaselab/codeapp Send us an email: support@thebaselab.com Privacy Policy: thebaselab.com/privacypolicies Terms of Use (EULA): www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

SSH Tunnel4 screens
Code App2 screens

Verdict

The call

SSH Tunnel and Code App both sit at 4.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 64% of Code App's written reviews are positive against 46% of SSH Tunnel's. Code App also leads on price ($6.99 vs $9.99) and chart position (#8 vs #56). On rating, ratings volume, 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

SSH Tunnel costs $9.99 and Code App $6.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.0 for SSH Tunnel against 4.0 for Code App. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 148 and 303 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 46% of SSH Tunnel's written reviews are positive against 64% of Code App's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SSH Tunnel ships an update every 6 weeks, Code App monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
SSH Tunnel versus Code App: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSSH TunnelCode App
Price$9.99$6.99 — better
Rating4.0 (148 ratings)4.0 (303 ratings) — better
Positive reviews46.2% of reviews63.6% of reviews — better
Number of ratings148303 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#56#8 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB963 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMobibean, LLCthebaselab Ltd

Customer experience

SSH Tunnel

All ratings148 ratings
Positive70.9%
Neutral6.8%
Negative22.3%
Written reviews104 reviews
Positive46.2%
Neutral9.6%
Negative44.2%

Code App

All ratings301 ratings
Positive73.4%
Neutral8.3%
Negative18.3%
Written reviews546 reviews
Positive63.6%
Neutral13.9%
Negative22.5%

Bugs and requests

SSH Tunnel

Reported bugs

12 issues
  • 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
Show 7 more
  • Cannot edit or delete existing connections
  • Tunnel connection drops when changing applications
  • Port remains busy after tunnel termination
  • Location services prompt appears every time app closes
  • App not updated for iOS 16+ compatibility
  • SOCKS5 functionality not working in some cases
  • Incompatible with iOS 18

Requested features

12 requests
  • Background app refresh capability
  • VPN interface implementation for system-wide traffic routing
  • Multiple simultaneous tunnels
  • Tabs in built-in browser
  • Remote port forwarding support
Show 7 more
  • 2FA/Two-factor authentication support
  • Better documentation and setup guides
  • Support for PuTTY key format
  • Mouse click events in in-app browser
  • Shortcuts app integration
  • Compression option support
  • Global proxy support for mobile networks

Code App

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SSH Tunnel

No in-app purchases

None

Code App

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SSH Tunnel free?
SSH Tunnel costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Code App free?
Code App costs $6.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SSH Tunnel or Code App?
Code App is rated higher. SSH Tunnel averages 4.0 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while Code App averages 4.0 from 303 ratings.
Do SSH Tunnel or Code App have ads?
Neither SSH Tunnel nor Code App shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SSH Tunnel or Code App?
SSH Tunnel ships an update every 6 weeks, and Code App monthly. Most recently, SSH Tunnel was updated on November 1, 2026 and Code App on October 29, 2026.
Which is more popular, SSH Tunnel or Code App?
SSH Tunnel currently peaks at #56 in the App Store charts, and Code App at #8. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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