Secure Terminal vs Pythonica
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)
Pythonica
Develop and debug Python web applications directly on your iOS device. This app provides a full Python environment with PIP support, a script editor with advanced features, and a built-in Git client. It also allows you to run your applications as standalone web apps.
- Full Python environment with PIP
- Integrated Git client
- Multi-tabbed script editor
- Auto-complete and syntax validation
- Standalone web app functionality
- Remote file management (FTP/SFTP/FTPS/iCloud)
- Offline Python documentation
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Full-fledged Python on iOS with PIP support. Pythonica is designed for Python developers. With Pythonica, you can build, modify, run and debug web applications using Python and Webkit on your iOS device or any other device on the same network. Pythonica also turns your device into a complete standalone web application with Python support to run on startup. App features: - Full Python without internet connection - Git client - Script editor - html/js/css/json beautifiers in script editor - Auto-Complete - Image editor - Multi-tabbed script/image editor - PIP - Panel to capture logs - Supports in-app browser / in-app Safari - Multi-tabbed file manager - Set as standalone web application - Remote file manager (access app's files from another device) - FTP/SFTP/FTPS/iCloud managers - phpLiteAdmin to edit sqlite files - Firebug Lite - Syntax validator for HTML, JS & CSS - Offline Python documentation - Enable/Disable sharing with Files app - Split screen on iPad - Multitasking on iPad Note: Pythonica does not support c extensions. For more information & inquiries please contact us.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: Pythonica at 5.0 against Secure Terminal's 4.5. Pythonica also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 86%) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 16.6). Secure Terminal's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months). On price, in-app purchases, monetization model and device support 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 Pythonica sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Pythonica 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 2, 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 Pythonica's.
Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, Pythonica every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 19, 2026 and October 3, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Secure Terminal | Pythonica |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (62 ratings) | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 62 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 3 months |
| Ads | No — better | Yes |
| 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 | 13.4 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 195 MB | 237 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Filippo Maguolo | Firas Moussa |
Customer experience
Secure Terminal
Pythonica
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
Pythonica
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Secure Terminal
- PRO FEATURE$4.99
Pythonica
- Unlock all features$4.99
- Standalone Web Application$9.99
Questions
Is Secure Terminal free?
Is Pythonica free?
Which has better reviews, Secure Terminal or Pythonica?
Do Secure Terminal or Pythonica have ads?
Which is updated more often, Secure Terminal or Pythonica?
Other comparisons
