Comparison

AirTerminal vs SSH Client

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

Head to head
About

AirTerminal

This app provides a Bluetooth terminal for embedded devices, allowing console access without internet or SSH. It supports hardware keyboards and includes special buttons for common commands.

Highlights
  • Bluetooth (BLE) terminal
  • Console/shell access for embedded devices
  • Hardware keyboard support
  • Special input buttons (ESC, TAB, CTL, cursor)
  • Automatic terminal size adjustment
  • Central and peripheral mode support
  • XMODEM file transfer
Features
Read full description

AirTerminal is a Bluetooth (BLE) terminal for embedded devices such as Raspberry Pi, BeagleBone, Arduino Yún and more. With AirTerminal, you can easily access the console / shell of your embedded devices without a Internet / SSH connection. (To use AirTerminal, an additional BLE serial adapter is required.) Features: - Full feature terminal works with bash, vim, top, tmux and more. - Hardware keyboard support. - Addition buttons to input ESC, TAB, CTL or cursor keys easily. - A "Fit" button uses "stty" command to adjust terminal size automatically. - Support central and peripheral mode. - Send or receive files with XMODEM protocol

About

SSH Client

This app provides a fast SSH terminal and remote file access, seamlessly integrating your SSH servers with your iOS device. It offers advanced text editing gestures, drag-and-drop file management, and built-in tmux support for persistent sessions. Access your server's file system directly within the Files app and automate transfers via Shortcuts.

Highlights
  • Lightning fast SSH terminal
  • Remote file access and management
  • Standard and custom text editing gestures
  • Drag-and-drop file transfer
  • Built-in tmux support for session persistence
  • Files app integration for server file system
  • Shortcuts app integration for automation
Features
Read full description

Lightning fast SSH terminal with remote file access. No other app fuses your SSH servers and iOS devices as well as Secure ShellFish. Tap Get and see for yourself. Terminal supports standard text editing gestures for selection, scrolling and copy/paste as well as custom gestures to send arrow keys and tabulator making shell entry and full screen editing with vim or emacs delightful. Bar above the keyboard makes it easy to type special keys and insert snippets. Select and drag filenames out of the terminal as actual files and drag files from other apps into the terminal to upload. Use built-in tmux support to persist terminal sessions if you lose Internet access, pick existing sessions with thumbnails and Handoff sessions between devices. Server file system is available in the Files app and recently accessed files and directories are cached to make them available when offline. Use apps like Textastic and iA Writer for a native editing experience working on your remote server files. Upload files or entire directories from the share sheet with minimal friction as the last destination directory for each kind of file is remembered or automate file transfers in the Shortcuts app. Connect to your Mac, Synology NAS and any other SSH server or create new Digital Ocean droplets right from the app. Secure ShellFish is useful as a free app and paying pro users can disable ads in the terminal, upload through the Files app and configure unlimited number of servers.

Screenshots

AirTerminal4 screens
SSH Client4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: SSH Client at Free against AirTerminal's $9.99. SSH Client also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 months) and ratings volume (1.5K vs 5). AirTerminal's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3). On ads and iOS requirement 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 Client is free to download; AirTerminal costs $9.99 up front. SSH Client sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. AirTerminal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SSH Client holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.6. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SSH Client has 1.5K ratings behind it against 5, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 72% of AirTerminal's written reviews are positive against 94% of SSH Client's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

AirTerminal ships an update every 3 months, SSH Client weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 14, 2026 and September 25, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard9 real differences · 2 level
AirTerminal versus SSH Client: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterAirTerminalSSH Client
Price$9.99Free — better
Rating4.6 (5 ratings)4.8 (1.5K ratings) — better
Positive reviews72.2% of reviews94.4% of reviews — better
Number of ratings51.5K — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationPaidFreemium — better
Best chart rank#110#25 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS16.0 — better17.4
Further details — not scored
Size2 MB117 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer晓忠 马Anders Borum

Customer experience

AirTerminal

All ratings5 ratings
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews18 reviews
Positive72.2%
Neutral5.6%
Negative22.2%

SSH Client

All ratings1,509 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral1.3%
Negative3.0%
Written reviews622 reviews
Positive94.4%
Neutral1.8%
Negative3.9%

Bugs and requests

AirTerminal

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

SSH Client

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Crashes when running certain commands
  • Issues with file transfer progress reporting

Requested features

4 requests
  • Improved documentation and tutorials
  • Support for additional authentication methods
  • Customizable keyboard shortcuts and layouts
  • Tabbed terminal interface

In-app purchases

None

AirTerminal

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

SSH Client

Subscriptions2
  • ShellFish Monthly subscription14 Days trial$2.991 Month
  • ShellFish Annual subscription$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • ShellFish Lifetime Pro Unlock$29.99

Questions

Is AirTerminal free?
AirTerminal costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is SSH Client free?
SSH Client is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, AirTerminal or SSH Client?
SSH Client is rated higher. AirTerminal averages 4.6 out of 5 from 5 ratings, while SSH Client averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.
Do AirTerminal or SSH Client have ads?
Neither AirTerminal nor SSH Client shows ads.
Which is updated more often, AirTerminal or SSH Client?
AirTerminal ships an update every 3 months, and SSH Client weekly. Most recently, AirTerminal was updated on September 14, 2026 and SSH Client on September 25, 2026.
Which is more popular, AirTerminal or SSH Client?
AirTerminal currently peaks at #110 in the App Store charts, and SSH Client at #25. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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