Comparison

SSH Client vs dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr

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

Head to head
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.

About

dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr

This app rebuilds your remote workspace as native iOS UI, transforming tmux and herdr shells into intuitive tabs and panes for touchscreen control. It offers seamless integration with AI coding agents and supports various SSH authentication methods for a robust developer experience.

Highlights
  • Native tmux and herdr UI
  • Touchscreen-optimized panes and tabs
  • AI coding agent integration
  • Advanced SSH authentication
  • Multi-device layout support
  • Session persistence and auto-reconnect
Features
Read full description

Stop fighting tmux and herdr on a touchscreen. dotMux speaks tmux control mode — and now herdr — natively, and rebuilds your remote workspace as real iOS UI, the way iTerm2 does on the Mac. Windows and panes become native tabs and views you drive by touch. NATIVE tmux AND herdr, NOT raw text - tmux windows and herdr tabs become native tabs; every pane a native view — focused full-screen on iPhone, true side-by-side splits on iPad and iPhone Duo. - Split, resize, and close panes from the app — pane menu, long-press, drag the divider, or keyboard shortcuts. - The window and pane pickers render your real terminals, live: pick a window by what's in it, not by its name. - Select and copy text with native handles; tap links in the terminal to open them. - No tmux or herdr on the host? dotMux falls back to a plain terminal. herdr: BUILT FOR AI CODING AGENTS - Pick herdr or tmux per host: herdr's workspaces, tabs, and panes are native UI, just like tmux's. - Each agent's state — blocked, working, done — shows in the tab bar and on the pane, so you see at a glance which agent needs you. - A live tab grid and pane previews; split, resize, rename, and close from the app. - Shortcuts run over herdr too. - Needs herdr 0.9.0 or newer on your server. Inline images don't come through herdr. UNFOLD IT: iPhone Duo AND iPad - Closed, the Duo's cover is a focused terminal. Open it, and the inner display lays out real side-by-side splits, the way iPad does. - Fold, half-fold, rotate: the layout and the keyboard bar follow the display you're using. - On iPad, open hosts side by side in multiple windows; built for hardware keyboard and trackpad. EVERY HOST AT ONCE - Connect to as many hosts as you like at once. Leaving a terminal doesn't disconnect it. - The host list is the connection switcher: live hosts marked, one tap away. Group hosts into folders. - Lost the connection while away? dotMux reconnects on its own when you come back. - Forward a remote port over SSH and open your server's web UI inside dotMux. REAL SSH, DONE RIGHT - Password and public-key authentication. - Import ed25519 or ECDSA (P-256) keys by paste or from Files — passphrase-protected keys included. - Or generate a key in the Secure Enclave: non-exportable, never leaving the device. - Manage credentials and trusted host keys in Settings. - Direct from your device to your servers. No middleman, no developer backend. PICK UP WHERE YOU LEFT OFF - The session picker lists every tmux session on the host; switch in place or create named ones. - iOS suspended the app? Jobs keep running on the server, and dotMux re-attaches and rebuilds your tabs and panes. A KEYBOARD BUILT FOR TERMINALS - A helper bar with Esc, Ctrl, Tab and more — add, remove, and reorder every key, even your own text. - Snippets: save commands globally or per host and run them without typing. - A multi-line composer for long commands and agent prompts, sent in one go. - Paste images: annotate them first, and dotMux uploads them and pastes the path (built for Claude Code). - Hardware keyboard: Cmd-V paste, and the helper bar stays if you want it. MAKE IT YOURS - Fonts: JetBrains Mono, Fira Code, Hack, IBM Plex Mono and more. - Themes with live preview: Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night — or import any Ghostty or iTerm2 theme. AUTOMATE IT - Shortcuts: connect to a host, send a command, read the output back — or open a host in a new tmux window. Unattended runs, enabled per credential. SECURITY THAT STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE - Face ID app-lock, plus a Face ID gate per credential. - Credentials live in the Keychain and Secure Enclave, bound to this device — never synced, never sent anywhere. - No data collected. No analytics, no tracking, no ads, no account. PRICING - Free: save and connect to one host, fully featured. - Unlimited Hosts: a one-time $1.99 purchase. No subscription. Restore Purchases supported. Note: RSA keys are not supported. Use ed25519, ECDSA (P-256), or a Secure Enclave key.

Screenshots

SSH Client4 screens
dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: SSH Client at 4.8 against dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr's 3.0. SSH Client also leads on ratings volume (1.6K vs 1) and update cadence (weekly vs monthly). On price, 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

Both are free to download. SSH Client sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month and dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

SSH Client holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SSH Client has 1.6K ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SSH Client ships an update weekly, dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
SSH Client versus dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSSH ClientdotMux SSH for tmux & herdr
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1.6K ratings) — better3.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews94.6% of reviews—
Number of ratings1.6K — better1
Update frequencyWeekly — betterMonthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemiumFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#16 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.4 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size132 MB31 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAnders BorumFree Tomorrow

Bugs and 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

dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

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
1 purchases

dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr

One-time1
  • dotMux — Unlimited Hosts$1.99

Questions

Is SSH Client free?
SSH Client is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr free?
dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, SSH Client or dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr?
SSH Client is rated higher. SSH Client averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1.6K ratings, while dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr averages 3.0 from 1 ratings.
Do SSH Client or dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr have ads?
Neither SSH Client nor dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SSH Client or dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr?
SSH Client ships an update weekly, and dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr monthly. Most recently, SSH Client was updated on November 8, 2026 and dotMux SSH for tmux & herdr on November 10, 2026.

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