# SimplePi for Raspberry Pi vs R2 Explorer

The clearest difference is price: SimplePi for Raspberry Pi at Free against R2 Explorer's $8.99. R2 Explorer's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1). On update cadence, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

SimplePi for Raspberry Pi is free to download; R2 Explorer costs $8.99 up front. SimplePi for Raspberry Pi sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. R2 Explorer asks for nothing beyond the download.

SimplePi for Raspberry Pi ships an update every 8 days, R2 Explorer fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 16, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | SimplePi for Raspberry Pi | R2 Explorer |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $8.99 |
| Rating | **[3.9 (125 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplepi-for-raspberry-pi/id1524142767/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **125** | — |
| Positive reviews | 25.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Size | 23 MB | 13 MB |
| Requires iOS | **17.0** | 18.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Benedikt Hirmer](https://appshunter.io/developer/844106496) | [Jose Leal](https://appshunter.io/developer/1441468562) |

## What reviewers say

### SimplePi for Raspberry Pi

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplepi-for-raspberry-pi/id1524142767)

Manage your Raspberry Pi from your iPhone or iPad. Monitor system activity with graphs, run custom commands, and access a terminal shell. Includes widgets, file browsing, and support for multiple Pis.

**Highlights:** Monitor CPU, Memory, Temperature, Disk Usage, Run custom commands with one tap, Full terminal shell access, Home screen widgets for monitoring and control, File browser with export options, Manage multiple Raspberry Pi devices, Public key authentication

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Full Access (12 months) | $4.99 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Useful tool, does what it says
- 🚀 Fantastic app, great CLI access
- 💡 Full Bash and Python support
- 📈 Provides CPU, GPU, RAM stats
- 💰 Low annual cost (£4.99/year)

**What reviewers complain about**

- ❌ Subscription required to function
- ❌ Frequent connection issues
- ❌ Paywall limits functionality
- ❌ App crashes frequently
- ❌ Fails to display stats

**Reported bugs**

- App refuses to connect after closing
- Opening app redirects to paywall
- Temporary fix for connection issues: remove host, force close, re-add
- App crashes several times
- Fails 50% of the time to display GPU, CPU, and temp settings

**Requested features**

- Allow commands to keep running when phone screen locks
- Ability to view results log for commands
- Option to remove added commands
- Improve navigation for raspi-config
- Store SSH private keys securely using iOS Keychain


### R2 Explorer

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/r2-explorer/id6738603920)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is SimplePi for Raspberry Pi free?

SimplePi for Raspberry Pi is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is R2 Explorer free?

R2 Explorer costs $8.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Do SimplePi for Raspberry Pi or R2 Explorer have ads?

Neither SimplePi for Raspberry Pi nor R2 Explorer shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, SimplePi for Raspberry Pi or R2 Explorer?

SimplePi for Raspberry Pi ships an update every 8 days, and R2 Explorer fortnightly. Most recently, SimplePi for Raspberry Pi was updated on October 16, 2026 and R2 Explorer on October 13, 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.*