# SSH Tunnel vs PortX

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.

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.

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.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | SSH Tunnel | PortX |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | $9.99 | **Free** |
| Rating | **[4.0 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-tunnel-vpn-and-socks5-proxy/id1260223542/reviews)** | [3.8 (20 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portx-ssh-deprecated/id1566480505/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **148** | 20 |
| Positive reviews | 46.2% of reviews | **72.5% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 6 weeks | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | **#33** | — |
| Size | 17 MB | 58 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **12.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Mobibean, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1142567045) | [NetSarang Computer, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1563674950) |

## What reviewers say

### SSH Tunnel

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

**Currently charting:** #33 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


### PortX

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/portx-ssh-deprecated/id1566480505)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked 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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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*