Comparison

Blink Shell, Build & Code vs API Signal

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

API Signal

Read full description

API Signal is an API monitoring service built for developers who care about visibility, authentication, and operational clarity. Register API endpoints, monitor HTTP status codes and JSON responses, and review recent failures from a clean dashboard designed for daily development and operations work. API Signal supports GitHub authentication, making it easy for developers to sign in with an identity they already use. Your monitoring data is synced across web and mobile apps, so you can check endpoint status and failure history from the environment that fits your workflow. The service is designed with a security-conscious and distributed architecture in mind. API checks, user access, logs, and notifications are handled through separated operational layers, helping keep monitoring stable and predictable as usage grows. Key features: GitHub sign-in for developer-friendly access Cross-platform data sync across web and mobile apps HTTP status monitoring for registered API endpoints JSON response validation for practical API health checks Failure logs focused on recent problems and debugging context Notification support for operational awareness API Signal is not just a simple uptime checker. It is a focused monitoring tool for developers who want to see API failures early, keep operational signals organized, and manage checks from multiple platforms without losing context. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Blink Shell, Build & Code4 screens
API Signal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: Blink Shell, Build & Code at #13 against API Signal's unranked. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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 API Signal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 10 level
Blink Shell, Build & Code versus API Signal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlink Shell, Build & CodeAPI Signal
PriceFreeFree
Rating3.1 (418 ratings) — better
Positive reviews36.9% of reviews
Number of ratings418 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#13 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.616.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size211 MB58 MB
Age rating17+17+
DeveloperBlink Shell, IncMasakatsu Aida

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
2 purchases

API Signal

Subscriptions2
  • Starter Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Standard Monthly1 Month trial$39.991 Month

Questions

Is Blink Shell, Build & Code free?
Blink Shell, Build & Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is API Signal free?
API Signal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Blink Shell, Build & Code or API Signal have ads?
Neither Blink Shell, Build & Code nor API Signal shows ads.

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