Comparison

Blink Shell, Build & Code vs Buildio

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Blink Shell, Build & Code

Transform your iOS device into a powerful terminal for coding and development. Leverage Mosh and SSH for stable, fast connections. Integrate with VS Code and manage your entire development workflow from your pocket.

Highlights
  • Mosh and SSH connections
  • VS Code integration (Blink Code)
  • Remote runtime creation (Blink Build)
  • Full SSH toolset
  • Hardware keyboard support
  • External display support
  • SFTP transfers
Features
Read full description

Do Blink! Transform your iOS device into a pro-grade terminal. Blink is the first professional, desktop-grade terminal for iOS that leverages the support of Mosh and SSH. Thus, we can guarantee stable connections, crazy-fast speeds, and full configurations. It can and should be your all-day-long tool.  **Start your 14-day free trial now!** But, Blink is much more. Now with Blink Code and Blink Build**, your entire development workflow fits in your pocket. What the Blink community is saying: “In some ways, I prefer my iPad / Blink / Digital Ocean setup to coding on my Mac“ - TheVerge "I have tried a number of terminals on iOS and this is really The One." - Twit.tv “Connections still come up when I get back to a client project after a weekend off.“ - The Sweet Setup “The way to use VS Code on the iPad” - programminglife.io What our users love the most from Blink Shell: - Mosh connections that even survive a device reboot. - Most complete SSH implementation on iOS. - Code command for VS Code integration. - Blazingly fast terminal and SFTP transfers. - Includes Pragmata Pro with ligatures. Blink Shell has a fully loaded SSH toolset: - SSH with PKI support: DSA, RSA, ECDSA & ED25519 keys. - Support for Secure Enclave Keys and Certificates. - Port forwarding with local, remote & dynamic tunnel support. - SOCKS5 proxy for a private VPN. - Agent Forwarding. - Complete SSH Config file support. - ControlMaster and pooled connections. - Files.app integration for SFTP remote hosts. - SFTP with copy-on-change. Blink has been the leading developer tool in the AppStore for +5 years, so there is a lot more: - External Display support. - Legendary Hardware Keyboard support, even remap shortcuts and keyboard codes. - Local & iCloud Blink Shell folders for Files.app access across devices. - Host sync over iCloud. - Link-files from other applications and work with them in Blink. - Cool themes and fonts, and install your own! - Smart Keys on SW Keyboard to navigate with touch. - FaceCam command to create tutorials and streams. - Bell notifications. - Supports multiple windows and multiple tabs. - Network & UNIX CLI tools, check our docs for more information. Blink Code integrates with VS Code: - Code on local projects, or seamlessly on remote machines. - Fully-loaded code editor. - A coding experience fitted to your device, that connects to VS Code for web, GitHub Codespaces, GitPod or your own VS Code server. Blink Build (Requires a $7.99/month subscription) Creates remote runtimes that can be accessed on all your devices. You can use Build in your day-to-day workflows whether you need to do development, DevOps or just play around with new tooling. Participate in our community, and don’t forget to leave us your feedback and your feature(s) requests. Enjoy! http://blink.sh http://twitter.com/blinkshell http://GitHub.com/blinksh Terms of Use: https://blink.sh/blink-gpl Privacy Policy: https://blink.sh/pp * Blink Code is not affiliated nor endorsed by Microsoft. ** Blink Build requires a separate subscription to make use of our Virtual Machines.

About

Buildio

Manage and monitor your Bitrise CI builds from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Control projects, start builds, view logs in real-time, and receive instant notifications. Seamlessly switch between multiple accounts and utilize multitasking features for efficient development.

Highlights
  • Complete build control
  • Real-time log monitoring
  • Access build artifacts
  • Instant build status notifications
  • Multi-account switching
  • Multitasking support
Features
Read full description

Discover the power of seamless CI management in the palm of your hand with Buildio - the premier client for Bitrise CI. Now you can control and monitor all your builds in one place, anytime, anywhere. Whether you're on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac, Buildio transforms build management into a smooth, integrated experience. With Buildio, you can: - Take Complete Control of Your Builds: Easily manage your projects, start new builds, abort or rebuild existing ones, all from one app. - Real-Time Monitoring: Keep an eye on your build logs in real time. Never miss a critical change or update. - Access to Build Artifacts: Effortlessly navigate through your build artifacts for a comprehensive view of your project. - Instant Notifications: Stay informed with immediate notifications on build status changes. Always be in the loop, always be ready. - Multi-Account Switching: Manage multiple business or private accounts without the need to log in and out. Switching between projects has never been easier. - Multitasking Support: Exploit the multi-window capabilities on your iPad or Mac for a more productive workflow. - Markdown Support: Enjoy markdown support for commit messages, enabling easier and clearer communication. Crafted to perfectly blend with the iOS, iPadOS, and macOS platforms, Buildio provides an intuitive, streamlined interface that's as pleasing to the eyes as it is functional. With Buildio, managing your Bitrise CI builds becomes a fluid, efficient process, leaving you more time to focus on what matters most - creating fantastic software. Don't just build; Build smart, Build fast, Buildio!

Screenshots

Blink Shell, Build & Code4 screens
Buildio4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Buildio at 100% against Blink Shell, Build & Code's 37%. Buildio also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1) and in-app purchases (none vs 5). Blink Shell, Build & Code's advantage is ratings volume (418 vs 1) and chart position (#19 vs unranked). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Blink Shell, Build & Code sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Buildio asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Buildio holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Blink Shell, Build & Code has 418 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 37% of Blink Shell, Build & Code's written reviews are positive against 100% of Buildio's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blink Shell, Build & Code ships an update every 3 weeks, Buildio every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 15, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 4 level
Blink Shell, Build & Code versus Buildio: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlink Shell, Build & CodeBuildio
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (418 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings418 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 6 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#19 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.616.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size211 MB12 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBlink Shell, IncSergii Khliustin

Customer experience

Blink Shell, Build & Code

All ratings418 ratings
Positive51.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative45.7%
Written reviews345 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative60.9%

Buildio

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

5 purchases

Blink Shell, Build & Code

Subscriptions4
  • Build Basic - 50 credits/month1 Month trial$7.991 Month
  • Blink+Build Basic7 Days trial$9.991 Month
  • Blink Plus$19.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • Blink+14 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Blink Shell ClassicFree
None

Buildio

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Blink Shell, Build & Code free?
Blink Shell, Build & Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Buildio free?
Buildio is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Blink Shell, Build & Code or Buildio?
Buildio is rated higher. Blink Shell, Build & Code averages 3.1 out of 5 from 418 ratings, while Buildio averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do Blink Shell, Build & Code or Buildio have ads?
Neither Blink Shell, Build & Code nor Buildio shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blink Shell, Build & Code or Buildio?
Blink Shell, Build & Code ships an update every 3 weeks, and Buildio every 6 weeks. Most recently, Blink Shell, Build & Code was updated on October 15, 2026 and Buildio on October 8, 2026.

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