# Secure Terminal vs Server Sidekick

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 (62 vs 1) and chart position (#176 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

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 62 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 12, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secure Terminal | Server Sidekick |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-terminal/id1463284695/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/server-sidekick/id1513838273/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **62** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 3 weeks** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#176** | — |
| Size | 195 MB | 47 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **12.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Filippo Maguolo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1154554717) | [SERVER SIDEKICK LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1513838272) |

## What reviewers say

### Secure Terminal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-terminal/id1463284695)

**Currently charting:** #176 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** SSH & Telnet connection, Password & key authentication, SFTP file transfer, xterm-256color emulation, Key generation, Port forwarding, Customizable terminal

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| PRO FEATURE | $4.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 User-friendly interface
- 💰 Great value, one-time purchase
- 🆓 Free version is very capable
- 🚀 Fast and stable performance
- 💻 Works across multiple Apple devices

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 UI/UX could be better
- ❓ Lack of clear documentation
- 🐌 Some features are slow
- 🚫 Cannot log in without password
- 🖱️ UI elements not always intuitive

**Reported bugs**

- 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

**Requested features**

- 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


### Server Sidekick

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/server-sidekick/id1513838273)

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.

**Highlights:** SSH connectivity, File management, Performance metrics, Service control, Systemd support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Server Sidekick Pro - Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Server Sidekick Pro - Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Terminal free?

Secure Terminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Server Sidekick free?

Server Sidekick is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Secure Terminal or Server Sidekick?

Server Sidekick is rated higher. Secure Terminal averages 4.5 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Server Sidekick averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do Secure Terminal or Server Sidekick have ads?

Neither Secure Terminal nor Server Sidekick shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Secure Terminal or Server Sidekick?

Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Server Sidekick every 6 weeks. Most recently, Secure Terminal was updated on October 12, 2026 and Server Sidekick on September 22, 2026.

---

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