Secure Terminal vs Server Sidekick
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Secure Terminal
This application provides secure remote access to servers via SSH and Telnet. It supports various authentication methods, terminal emulations, and file transfer protocols. Advanced features like SFTP and port forwarding are available through an in-app purchase.
- SSH & Telnet connection
- Password & key authentication
- SFTP file transfer
- xterm-256color emulation
- Key generation
- Port forwarding
- Customizable terminal
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SSH Terminal to access multiple SSH server, with full support of "xterm-256color" emulation. Base Features: • SSH connection with password or key authentication: DSA, RSA, ECDSA, Ed25519 (OpenSSH format & Putty PPK) • SSH Agent • Key generation (RSA, ECDSA, Ed25519) • Support for FIDO key (iPhone NFC only) • Secure Enclave Key • Support for Mosh, Sixel, iTerm2 image, ZModem and Trzsz protocols • Connection params are safely stored on Keychain • Connection history & localization • Connection through SSH proxy • Connection with Telnet protocol • External keyboard support • Terminal colors customization • Multiple font size • Image background • User font choice (fixed width only) • Pointer/Mouse support PRO Features (require in-app purchase): • Upload/Download files through SFTP • Port forwarding • Local text editor • Store unlimited connections • Files plugin support • Shortcuts support • Commands snippet • Hosts Status Dashboard • SFTP Commander • XWindow (iPad only)
Server Sidekick
Manage your systems remotely via SSH. Control files, monitor performance, and manage services on systemd-based Linux distributions. Offers limited functionality for macOS, FreeBSD, and other systems.
- SSH connectivity
- File management
- Performance metrics
- Service control
- Systemd support
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Connect to your systems using SSH to manage files, view performance metrics, control services, and more! All features are supported on systemd based Linux distributions. Limited features for macOS, FreeBSD and others. You can review our terms of use at https://www.serversidekick.app/terms-of-use and privacy policy at https://www.serversidekick.app/privacy-policy.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Server Sidekick at 5.0 against Secure Terminal's 4.5. Server Sidekick also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%) and iOS requirement (12.1 vs 16.6). Secure Terminal's advantage is ratings volume (63 vs 1) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). 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
Both are free to download. Secure Terminal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Server Sidekick sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Server Sidekick holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secure Terminal has 63 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 86% of Secure Terminal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Server Sidekick's.
Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, Server Sidekick every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 9, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Secure Terminal | Server Sidekick |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (63 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 63 — better | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 6 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 12.1 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 196 MB | 47 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Filippo Maguolo | SERVER SIDEKICK LLC |
Customer experience
Secure Terminal
Server Sidekick
Bugs and requests
Secure Terminal
Reported bugs
14 issues- SFTP cannot be opened when using a proxy server to connect to SSH
- Backspace clears the entire line, hiding the current working directory
- App crashes during docker compose pull with ZSH and ohmyzsh
- FaceID authenticates only once per app execution
- File transfer adds single quotes to the beginning and end of filenames
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- Password input is case-insensitive, causing login failures
- Background mode loses connections within ~30 seconds
- Slide-up toolbar covers the bottom line of text when using an external keyboard
- Pro features not working after app was offloaded/reloaded
- App crashes frequently
- Cannot log in to remote servers without a password
- External keyboard shortcuts sometimes stop working
- Background color change not working
- Cannot insert copied password into Linux terminal
Requested features
19 requests- Allow adding more than one connection in free version
- Improve UI/UX for better intuitiveness
- Provide clear documentation for Port Forwarding
- Add ability to format/prettify command snippets in clipboard/saved commands
- Keep theme full dark and add plain simple b&w icon
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- Make password input case-sensitive
- Fix FaceID authentication to be more robust
- Allow login to servers without passwords
- Add option to place connection shortcuts on the main screen
- Support background mode for persistent connections
- Improve handling of symbolic links
- Add Agent SSH functionality
- Allow storage of multiple named keys
- Make app protected by FaceID/TouchID on launch
- Access iOS password manager for SSH keys
- Remove bottom keyboard bar
- Improve handling of external keyboard shortcuts
- Add a way to cancel connections more clearly
- Make the main screen less blank and improve 'connect' button placement for single-handed use
Server Sidekick
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Secure Terminal
- PRO FEATURE$4.99
Server Sidekick
- Server Sidekick Pro - Monthly$0.991 Month
- Server Sidekick Pro - Yearly$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Secure Terminal free?
Is Server Sidekick free?
Which has better reviews, Secure Terminal or Server Sidekick?
Do Secure Terminal or Server Sidekick have ads?
Which is updated more often, Secure Terminal or Server Sidekick?
Other comparisons
