Secure Terminal vs GoShell
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)
GoShell
A minimalist, high-performance terminal for engineers, offering fast and reliable remote and local workflows. Manage heterogeneous sessions side by side with multi-layout workspaces and smart resizing. Supports SSH, local shell, serial connections, and ZMODEM file transfers.
- SSH, Local Shell, Serial management
- Multi-Layout Workspace (tabs, grid, floating panes)
- Smart Resizing with adaptive font scaling
- Advanced Font System with per-session settings
- ZMODEM File Transfer (upload/download)
- Connection Organization (folders, search, recent)
- Theming & Appearance customization
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GoShell is a minimalist, high-performance terminal for engineers who want fast, reliable remote and local workflows—without the bloat. Core Capabilities: SSH, Local Shell, Serial: manage heterogeneous sessions side by side. Multi-Layout Workspace: switch between tabs, grid, or free-floating draggable panes. Smart Resizing: precise pty dimension sync (Vim-friendly) with adaptive font scaling. Advanced Font System: per-session and global font size, full system font discovery, monospace detection. ZMODEM File Transfer: seamless sz/rz upload & download with progress tracking. Connection Organization: folder grouping, search, recent list, rich metadata. Keyboard Power: global shortcuts for switching, reconnecting, resizing, clearing, word motion. Theming & Appearance: custom terminal themes, inverted selection, dynamic scrollbar styling. Performance Engine: batched output, debounced renders, memory-safe listener management. Data Portability: encrypted import/export of connections and preferences. Reliability Layer: multi-auth (key + password fallback), connection health monitoring. Why GoShell: Focused: ships only what accelerates real workflows. Fast: tuned rendering and resize pipeline. Compatible: works with macOS servers and many other network appliances. Transparent: actively maintained, versioned from clean git metadata. Ditch heavy clients—work cleaner with GoShell.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: GoShell at none against Secure Terminal's 1. GoShell also leads on device support (4 vs 2). Secure Terminal's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 10 months) and ratings volume (63 vs 2). On price, rating, ads and iOS requirement 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. GoShell asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.5 for Secure Terminal against 4.5 for GoShell. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Secure Terminal has 63 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two.
Secure Terminal ships an update every 3 weeks, GoShell every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on October 29, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Secure Terminal | GoShell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.5 (63 ratings) — better | 4.5 (2 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 85.9% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 63 — better | 2 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks — better | Every 10 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 16.6 | 15.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 196 MB | 36 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Filippo Maguolo | POSH GROUP LIMITED |
Customer experience
Secure Terminal
GoShell
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
GoShell
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Secure Terminal
- PRO FEATURE$4.99
GoShell
No in-app purchases
