# Secure Terminal vs Compute

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Secure Terminal at 86% against Compute's 33%. Secure Terminal also leads on chart position (#198 vs unranked) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 6 weeks). Compute's advantage is rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and device support (4 vs 2). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Secure Terminal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Compute sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $3.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Compute holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 62 and 18 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 86% of Secure Terminal's written reviews are positive against 33% of Compute's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, Compute every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 4, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Secure Terminal | Compute |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.5 (62 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/secure-terminal/id1463284695/reviews) | **[4.8 (18 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compute-ssh-and-forwarding/id1589650660/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **62** | 18 |
| Positive reviews | **85.9% of reviews** | 33.3% 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 | **#198** | — |
| Size | 195 MB | 24 MB |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Filippo Maguolo](https://appshunter.io/developer/1154554717) | [Roman Tsopin](https://appshunter.io/developer/923837081) |

## What reviewers say

### Secure Terminal

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

**Currently charting:** #198 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


### Compute

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/compute-ssh-and-forwarding/id1589650660)

Connect to your Mac, private server, or AWS instance via SSH from your iPhone or iPad. Run Jupyter or Cloud VSCode on the go using SSH port forwarding for on-the-fly coding.

**Highlights:** SSH connection to local Mac, servers, and AWS, SSH Port Forwarding, Run Jupyter notebooks remotely, Code with Cloud VSCode on the go, Connect from iPhone and iPad

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Coffee | $3.99 | per month |
| Lunch | $8.49 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Secure Terminal free?

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

### Is Compute free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Secure Terminal or Compute?

Compute is rated higher. Secure Terminal averages 4.5 out of 5 from 62 ratings, while Compute averages 4.8 from 18 ratings.

### Do Secure Terminal or Compute have ads?

Neither Secure Terminal nor Compute shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Secure Terminal or Compute?

Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, and Compute every 6 weeks. Most recently, Secure Terminal was updated on October 12, 2026 and Compute on October 4, 2026.

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