Comparison

Blink Shell, Build & Code vs Pling

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

Pling

This app provides a powerful SSH client and push notification platform for managing servers on mobile devices. It offers a full terminal experience, AI command generation, server monitoring, and SFTP file management. Users can also triage notifications and check host status from their Apple Watch.

Highlights
  • Full SSH and Mosh terminal emulation
  • Push notifications for server events
  • AI-powered command generation
  • Real-time server monitoring
  • SFTP file manager
  • Customizable terminal themes
  • Split-pane terminals on iPad
Features
Read full description

Your servers, in your pocket. Pling is the most powerful SSH client and push notification platform for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Spin up a terminal in seconds, or say what you want done and let Pling run the session. COMMAND AGENT Describe a task in plain English and Pling runs the SSH session for you: planning, dispatching, reading output, and adjusting as it goes. It asks on real decisions and stops before anything destructive. Launch it from the new Spotlight launcher or any terminal. SSH & TERMINAL A real terminal: full ANSI color, true emulation, and good-looking themes. Connect with SSH or Mosh. Mosh keeps sessions alive through subway tunnels and cellular handoffs. Jump hosts, SSH config import, and live port forwarding you can edit mid-session. Plus CRT mode, keyboard reordering, and saved snippets. REMOTE DESKTOP Stream and control a host's full graphical desktop in-app over hardware-accelerated H.264. Move the pointer, type on-screen, pinch to zoom, and push resolution, frame rate, and bitrate to your link's limit. PUSH NOTIFICATIONS Hook up servers, scripts, and CI with one HTTP request. Custom channels, low-to-critical priorities, and action URLs to a runbook. End-to-end encrypted, delivered even when Pling is closed. AI COMMANDS & VOICE Forget a flag? Generate commands with AI tuned to your setup, or speak them on-device with Whisper or Apple Speech. Add photos or files for context. SERVER MONITORING Watch CPU, memory, disk, network, and uptime live via our agent or over SSH. Set thresholds and get pushed the moment a box runs hot. SFTP FILE MANAGER Browse, upload, download, and edit remote files natively. Preview images, PDFs, and docs. Search the directory and multi-select for bulk delete or downloads. WAKE ON LAN Power on a sleeping machine remotely. Pling reads the MAC from an SSH session or takes yours, then sends the magic packet directly or via another host, with live status until it wakes. SESSIONS & HOSTS Every host card shows live reachability, plus a badge when the Pling agent is installed. Split-pane terminals on iPad, session recording, and live sharing to pair in real time. Tap a host with a tmux or zellij session running and Pling jumps back in instead of duplicating it. Save a Workspace; hosts plus their sessions; and restore it on any synced device. Batch commands and schedule recurring jobs 24/7. SECURITY Keys and credentials live in Keychain, behind Face ID or Touch ID, with auto-lock, host verification, and fingerprint management. Optionally sync SSH keys and passwords via your Pling Account, with an audit screen for what syncs and what stays local. YOUR PLING ACCOUNT Sign in with Apple or Google to your own account; link both or merge duplicates. Your hosts, keys, and settings sync across devices, and you can now use Pling on the web. APPLE WATCH, WIDGETS & SIRI Triage notifications, check status, and run commands from your wrist with iPhone nearby; complications show unread counts. Pin hosts to your Home Screen and ask Siri if prod is up. FREE FEATURES • 3 concurrent SSH sessions • 5 saved hosts • SSH and Mosh connections • SFTP file browsing • 8 terminal themes • Voice input • Local network discovery PLING PRO • 10 concurrent sessions • Unlimited saved hosts • Push notifications with custom channels • API token for integrations • Unlimited scheduled commands • Unlimited AI command generation and Command Agent • All premium themes and CRT effects • Session sharing • Server monitoring with agent and alerts • Docker container control • Email digests • Critical alerts and notification rules • Workspaces: save and restore host + session bundles • Pling Account sync for hosts, keys, snippets, and workspaces An SSH-accessible server is required for terminal features. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://plingpush.com/privacy.txt

Screenshots

Blink Shell, Build & Code4 screens
Pling4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Pling at 100% against Blink Shell, Build & Code's 37%. Pling also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 3 weeks). Blink Shell, Build & Code's advantage is chart position (#13 vs unranked). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model 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 Pling sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Blink Shell, Build & Code ships an update every 3 weeks, Pling weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 8 level
Blink Shell, Build & Code versus Pling: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlink Shell, Build & CodePling
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (418 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews36.8% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings418 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFreemium
Best chart rank#13 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size211 MB89 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperBlink Shell, IncLayton Labs AB

Customer experience

Blink Shell, Build & Code

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

Pling

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

Pling

Subscriptions2
  • Pling Pro - Monthly$1.991 Month
  • Pling Pro - Annual7 Days trial$17.991 Year
One-time1
  • Pling Pro - Lifetime$59.99

Questions

Is Blink Shell, Build & Code free?
Blink Shell, Build & Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pling free?
Pling is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Blink Shell, Build & Code or Pling have ads?
Neither Blink Shell, Build & Code nor Pling shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Blink Shell, Build & Code or Pling?
Blink Shell, Build & Code ships an update every 3 weeks, and Pling weekly. Most recently, Blink Shell, Build & Code was updated on October 2, 2026 and Pling on September 29, 2026.

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