Comparison

SSH Tunnel vs PortX

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

PortX

Access and manage remote systems on your mobile device with this powerful SSH client. It offers multi-session support, intuitive session management, and an advanced keyboard for efficient command input. Customize appearance and enjoy an ad-free experience.

Highlights
  • Multi-session support
  • Intuitive session management
  • Multi-line compose bar
  • Advanced keyboard with special characters
  • Multiple authentication types
  • Customizable appearance
Features
Read full description

****** Please switch to our new app, Xcasca. This app will be deprecated soon. ****** Xcasca, the new version of PortX, is now available! This current app will soon be deprecated, so please install Xcasca to continue. You can install Xcasca from the link below. https://apps.apple.com/app/xcasca-ssh-sftp-client/id6749602189 --------------------------------------------------------------- PortX Mobile brings the power of our desktop SSH Client to your mobile device (SFTP is currently available on the Desktop version only, but will be supported on Mobile soon). With a wide variety of features in a lightweight package, PortX Mobile allows you to access and manage remotes systems on-the-go through an intuitive user interface. PortX Mobile Features: ◦ Multi-Session Support. Have multiple connections open at once. Access to any of your sessions a just a finger-swipe or click away. ◦ Intuitive Session Management. Organize and edit your sessions with PortX’s session management. ◦ Compose Bar. The multi-line Compose Bar allows you to type out, edit, and review your string before sending. ◦ Advance Keyboard. Quick access to all special characters for whatever the situation calls for. ◦ Multiple Authentication Types. Password, Public Key, and Keyboard Interactive authentication support. ◦ Customizations. Modify appearance, font, and colors. ◦ Ad-Free ◦ More features coming soon. ◦ Desktop version also available for Mac, Windows, and Linux. PortX redefines how you interact with a mobile SSH Client. On-the-go session management has never been easier.

Screenshots

SSH Tunnel4 screens
PortX4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: PortX at Free against SSH Tunnel's $9.99. PortX also leads on review sentiment (73% vs 46%) and device support (4 vs 2). SSH Tunnel's advantage is rating (4.0 vs 3.8) and chart position (#33 vs unranked). On update cadence, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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

PortX is free to download; SSH Tunnel costs $9.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SSH Tunnel holds the better App Store score, 4.0 against 3.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SSH Tunnel has 148 ratings behind it against 20, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 46% of SSH Tunnel's written reviews are positive against 73% of PortX's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SSH Tunnel ships an update every 6 weeks, PortX monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 2, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
SSH Tunnel versus PortX: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSSH TunnelPortX
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.0 (148 ratings) — better3.8 (20 ratings)
Positive reviews46.2% of reviews72.5% of reviews — better
Number of ratings148 — better20
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
Best chart rank#33 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.012.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size17 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMobibean, LLCNetSarang Computer, Inc.

Customer experience

SSH Tunnel

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

PortX

All ratings19 ratings
Positive63.2%
Neutral5.3%
Negative31.6%
Written reviews120 reviews
Positive72.5%
Neutral12.5%
Negative15.0%

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

PortX

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SSH Tunnel

No in-app purchases

None

PortX

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SSH Tunnel free?
SSH Tunnel costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is PortX free?
PortX is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, SSH Tunnel or PortX?
SSH Tunnel is rated higher. SSH Tunnel averages 4.0 out of 5 from 148 ratings, while PortX averages 3.8 from 20 ratings.
Do SSH Tunnel or PortX have ads?
Neither SSH Tunnel nor PortX shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SSH Tunnel or PortX?
SSH Tunnel ships an update every 6 weeks, and PortX monthly. Most recently, SSH Tunnel was updated on November 2, 2026 and PortX on November 3, 2026.

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