Secure Terminal vs Visual File Editor
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 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)
Visual File Editor
Edit various file types, including source code and PDFs, with advanced search and import/export capabilities. Optimized for iPadOS with keyboard support to enhance productivity.
- Source code editing
- PDF viewing and editing
- Advanced search by name, type, date
- Import/export via Share Sheet
- Create new files
- iPadOS optimization
- Keyboard shortcuts
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Effortlessly edit files using either App Processing or Regular Expressions to suit your needs. Take advantage of Advanced Search to find files by name, type, added date, or modified date. View and edit source code in a variety of file types with ease. Open and explore PDF content directly within the app. Search within documents to quickly find exactly what you’re looking for. Import files easily using the Visual File Editor or the Share Sheet from iOS or iPadOS, even from external locations. Create new files and start editing right away within the app. Share your modified files directly to external locations with just a few taps. Optimized for iPadOS, with full support for Smart/Magic Keyboard and fast keyboard shortcuts to boost your productivity.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Secure Terminal at none against Visual File Editor's shown. Secure Terminal also leads on chart position (#130 vs unranked). Visual File Editor's advantage is iOS requirement (14.0 vs 16.6). On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume 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 Visual File Editor sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Secure Terminal against 4.5 for Visual File Editor. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62 and 25 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of Secure Terminal's written reviews are positive against 83% of Visual File Editor's.
Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, Visual File Editor every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Secure Terminal | Visual File Editor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (62 ratings) | 4.5 (25 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews — better | 83.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 62 — better | 25 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 4 weeks |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #130 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 14.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 195 MB | 10 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Filippo Maguolo | Tevon Wallace |
Customer experience
Secure Terminal
Visual File Editor
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
Visual File Editor
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Secure Terminal
- PRO FEATURE$4.99
Visual File Editor
- Remove Ads$1.99
Questions
Is Secure Terminal free?
Is Visual File Editor free?
Which has better reviews, Secure Terminal or Visual File Editor?
Do Secure Terminal or Visual File Editor have ads?
Which is updated more often, Secure Terminal or Visual File Editor?
Other comparisons
