Comparison

Blink Shell, Build & Code vs Kex

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

Kex

This app provides a full xterm-256color terminal emulator for iOS, allowing users to connect to servers via SSH, Mosh, and Telnet. It includes SFTP file management, multiple session support, and a specialized keyboard for efficient remote server access and administration.

Highlights
  • Full xterm-256color terminal emulation
  • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet protocol support
  • Built-in SFTP file manager
  • Multiple simultaneous terminal sessions
  • Purpose-built terminal keyboard accessory
  • Extensive customization options (themes, fonts, cursor)
  • Hardware keyboard support with shortcuts
Features
Read full description

A desktop-grade SSH terminal emulator built for iOS. Kex is not a simplified command runner — it's a full xterm-256color terminal that runs vim, htop, nano, and everything you expect from a real terminal. Leave your laptop behind. Restart a crashed service from the beach. Check your CI pipeline at the airport. SSH into production from a café. Monitor your AI coding agent from the couch. With Kex, your entire server infrastructure fits in your pocket. WHO IS KEX FOR? · DevOps engineers who need to respond to incidents anytime, anywhere · Developers running AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, or Aider on remote servers · System administrators managing fleets of Linux servers · Cloud engineers working with AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, and more · Homelab enthusiasts monitoring Raspberry Pi clusters and self-hosted services · Students learning Linux and server administration · Anyone who has ever thought "I wish I had a terminal right now" REAL TERMINAL EMULATION Full xterm-256color support with CSI, ESC, OSC, and SGR sequences. Alternate screen buffer for full-screen apps like vim, nano, top, and htop. 256-color and TrueColor rendering. SSH, MOSH & TELNET Connect to any server with SSH. Authenticate with password or SSH keys (Ed25519 and RSA). Mosh support keeps your session alive through Wi-Fi switches, cellular handoffs, and unstable hotel networks. Telnet for legacy systems and network equipment. All protocols, one app. BUILT-IN SFTP FILE MANAGER Browse, upload, download, and manage files on your remote servers. Create folders, rename, delete — all from an intuitive file browser. Pull a log file, push a config change, or grab a backup. No need for a separate SFTP app. MULTIPLE SESSIONS Run multiple terminal sessions simultaneously. Switch between them with a tap or with keyboard shortcuts. Each session maintains its own independent state — monitor production on one tab, debug staging on another. Manage all your servers from one place. TERMINAL KEYBOARD DONE RIGHT A purpose-built keyboard accessory bar with ESC, Ctrl, Alt, Tab, arrow keys, and F1–F12. Auto-repeat on directional keys. Modifier key toggles. Every key a terminal user needs — designed for real work, not bolted on as an afterthought. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING 10+ built-in terminal themes including Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Monokai, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, One Dark, GitHub Dark, and more. Choose your monospace font and size. Pick your cursor style — block, underline, or beam with optional blink. Make it yours. iPAD POWER USER Full hardware keyboard support with Cmd+N, Cmd+W, Cmd+T, and Cmd+1–9 shortcuts. Switch sessions, open new connections, and navigate — all without touching the screen. Pair with a keyboard and your iPad becomes a proper workstation. SECURITY FIRST SSH keys and credentials stored in the iOS Keychain — encrypted on your device, never in the cloud. Ed25519 and RSA key support. Host key verification with SHA-256 fingerprints. Organize keys into groups, see which connections use each key. All connections encrypted end-to-end. STAY CONNECTED Configurable keep-alive to prevent session drops. Detailed connection logs for troubleshooting. Save and organize your servers into groups with one-tap access. Host key memory so you connect with confidence every time. Kex is built for people who take their work seriously — but don't want to carry a laptop everywhere. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Blink Shell, Build & Code4 screens
Kex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Kex at 100% against Blink Shell, Build & Code's 37%. Kex also leads on update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). Blink Shell, Build & Code's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#12 vs unranked). 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

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 and Kex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blink Shell, Build & Code ships an update every 3 weeks, Kex every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 18, 2026 and October 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Blink Shell, Build & Code versus Kex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlink Shell, Build & CodeKex
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (418 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews36.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings418 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksEvery 2 days — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#12 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size211 MB27 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBlink Shell, IncAli Mert TUFEKCI

Customer experience

Blink Shell, Build & Code

All ratings418 ratings
Positive51.7%
Neutral2.6%
Negative45.7%
Written reviews348 reviews
Positive36.8%
Neutral2.3%
Negative60.9%

Kex

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
3 purchases

Kex

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Blink Shell, Build & Code free?
Blink Shell, Build & Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kex free?
Kex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Blink Shell, Build & Code or Kex have ads?
Kex shows ads; Blink Shell, Build & Code does not.
Which is updated more often, Blink Shell, Build & Code or Kex?
Blink Shell, Build & Code ships an update every 3 weeks, and Kex every 2 days. Most recently, Blink Shell, Build & Code was updated on October 18, 2026 and Kex on October 17, 2026.

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