ShellHistory vs SwiftServer
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
ShellHistory
Browse and search shell history collected from macOS devices. Organize commands into notebooks, back up and sync history via iCloud, and view statistics. Supports popular shells like zsh, bash, and fish.
- Browse shell history from macOS
- Full-text search capabilities
- Backup and sync via private iCloud
- Organize commands in notebooks
- View statistics over time
- Supports zsh, bash, and fish shells
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# ShellHistory for iOS ShellHistory for iOS is a companion application for the ShellHistory for macOS. iOS version of ShellHistory does not have ability to collect shell history, but allows you to browse the history collected from your macOS devices collected with ShellHistory for macOS application. ## Description With the ShellHistory, you can easily keep years of shell history, search history using Full-Text Search, back it up to your private iCloud, and create Notebooks. With ShellHistory you can: * Run full-text search queries over your shell history. * Extend your shell history by including information about the working directory, session, elapsed time, exit code, host, user, and more. * Never lose your shell history. Backup and synchronize it between Macs using your private iCloud storage. * Organize commands in notebooks to easily access the everyday workflow. * Import existing shell history. * See statistics over time. * See a complete terminal session in the order of the commands executed. * Dark and light mode support. * Multi-windows, multi-tabs support. ShellHistory easily integrates with your shell. ShellHistory supports all the most popular shells: zsh (default on macOS), bash, and fish shell. It will not break your prompt, and you can keep using your favorite terminal application. ShellHistory provides simple prompt commands, that will integrate with your shell and start recording your history. # Security ShellHistory is a sandboxed application distributed only via App Store. If you wish to synchronize your history, it will be stored in the private iCloud account, that only users with access to your AppleID can access it. Everything is stored in encrypted fields. # Feedback Check out the help page for more information https://loshadki.app/shellhistory/, have a question, or suggestion, or want to report a bug, please email us at support@loshadki.app
SwiftServer
Manage and monitor your servers remotely from your Apple devices. Provides real-time insights into CPU, memory, network, and storage usage, along with full terminal control and SFTP file management. Syncs data securely across devices.
- Real-time server monitoring
- Full-featured terminal control
- SFTP file management
- iCloud data sync
- Customizable terminal interface
- Docker container health monitoring
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SwiftServer is an SSH client and server monitor for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It is for developers, sysadmins, and homelab owners who run Linux, macOS, or Windows servers and want a terminal, live status, Docker, and SFTP in one app. Nothing is installed on the server. SwiftServer connects over the SSH access you already have. No agent, no daemon, no account. MONITORING - CPU per core, load averages, and temperature - Memory as used, cached, free, and swap - Live process table, sortable and searchable - Network speed and totals, with vnStat history by hour, day, month, and year - Storage per volume with disk I/O speed, latency, and IOPS - NVIDIA GPU: utilization, memory, fan, temperature, power, and compute processes - Public IP and location per server. Global View maps every server with live latency. - Linux, macOS, and Windows on one dashboard - Widgets, Live Activities, and the Dynamic Island TERMINAL - SSH and Mosh sessions. Mosh keeps the shell alive through network changes and sleep. - Keyboard bar with Esc, Tab, Ctrl, Alt, arrows, and ^C on iPhone and iPad. Hardware keyboards work too. - Snippets: save a command once, run it in any session, or across many machines with a result per machine - 518 color themes with separate light and dark picks, nine bundled monospace fonts, and custom font import - Mac: Local Shell opens a terminal on your own Mac in the same window DOCKER - Speaks the Docker Engine API over the SSH connection. No Docker port is exposed. - Overview: engine status, counts, reclaimable space, and live CPU and memory across containers - Containers: logs, processes, inspect. Create, start, stop, restart, pause, kill, remove. - Compose projects: up, down, start, stop, restart, pull, and logs - Images: pull with progress, remove, prune. Volumes and networks: inspect, remove, prune. Live event stream. SFTP - Browse, upload, download, rename, delete, and create files and folders - Copy files from one server to another without routing them through your device - Quick Look preview and a text editor with save NETWORKING - Port forwarding: local, remote, and dynamic SOCKS rules with auto start and a built-in browser on iPhone and iPad - Jump hosts: reach machines behind a bastion through one hop or a chain, each with its own credentials and host key check - Connection proxies: SOCKS5 and HTTP CONNECT profiles, per machine or per forwarding rule KEYS AND SECURITY - Password, SSH key, and keyboard-interactive login, including two-factor prompts - Generate Ed25519, ECDSA, or RSA keys on the device, or import existing keys - Host key fingerprint on first contact. A changed host key stops the connection. - Secrets stay in the device Keychain, behind Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode if you choose - Built on Traversio, our open-source SSH engine written in Swift ICLOUD SYNC AND PRIVACY - Machines, identities, keys, snippets, forwarding rules, proxy profiles, and trusted host keys sync through your own iCloud. Passwords and private keys go only through iCloud Keychain, end-to-end encrypted. - No accounts and no SwiftServer servers. What you save stays on your devices and in your iCloud. - The only outbound request is the IP lookup, sent from your server to ipinfo.io. The result is stored on your device only. FREE AND PREMIUM The core of SwiftServer is free: saved machines and keys, live server status, the full terminal with Mosh and snippets, SFTP, port forwarding, Docker browsing, widgets, and Global View. Premium adds unlimited monitored servers, iCloud sync, unlimited forwarding sessions, jump hosts, proxies, Docker management, terminal themes and fonts, SFTP preview and editing, and city, organization, and map pin for IP location. Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription, each with a free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Support: support@gitswift.com Terms of Use: https://swiftserver.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://swiftserver.app/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is price: SwiftServer at Free against ShellHistory's $13.99. SwiftServer also leads on update cadence (every 9 days vs every 8 months) and ratings volume (30 vs 2). ShellHistory's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.3) and in-app purchases (none vs 3). On review sentiment, ads, device support 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
SwiftServer is free to download; ShellHistory costs $13.99 up front. SwiftServer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. ShellHistory asks for nothing beyond the download.
ShellHistory holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SwiftServer has 30 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 91% of ShellHistory's written reviews are positive against 87% of SwiftServer's.
ShellHistory ships an update every 8 months, SwiftServer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 10, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ShellHistory | SwiftServer |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $13.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | 4.3 (30 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 90.9% of reviews — better | 86.8% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 2 | 30 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 8 months | Every 9 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Paid | Free with in-app purchases — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 17.5 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 2 MB | 38 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Loshadki, LLC | GitSwift LLC |
Customer experience
ShellHistory
SwiftServer
In-app purchases
ShellHistory
No in-app purchases
SwiftServer
- Monthly Premium3 Days trial$1.991 Month
- Yearly Premium14 Days trial$9.991 Year
- Premium Lifetime$34.99









