# Termius vs SSH Tunnel

The clearest difference is price: Termius at Free against SSH Tunnel's $9.99. Termius also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.0) and review sentiment (81% vs 46%). SSH Tunnel's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 4). On ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Termius is free to download; SSH Tunnel costs $9.99 up front. Termius sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month. SSH Tunnel asks for nothing beyond the download.

Termius holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.0. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Termius has 20K ratings behind it against 148, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 81% of Termius's written reviews are positive against 46% of SSH Tunnel's.

Termius ships an update fortnightly, SSH Tunnel every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Termius | SSH Tunnel |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | **Free** | $9.99 |
| Rating | **[4.7 (20K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908/reviews)** | [4.0 (148 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-tunnel-vpn-and-socks5-proxy/id1260223542/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **20K** | 148 |
| Positive reviews | **81.0% of reviews** | 46.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #56 |
| Size | 229 MB | 17 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Termius Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/549040051) | [Mobibean, LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1142567045) |

## What reviewers say

### Termius

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908)

**Currently charting:** #3 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #10 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a modern SSH client and terminal for seamless remote access across devices. It offers a desktop-grade terminal experience with advanced features like multi-tab support, custom themes, and saved commands. Securely manage connections and credentials with cloud sync and hardware key authentication.

**Highlights:** SSH, Mosh, Telnet, Port Forwarding, SFTP support, Virtual keyboard with special keys, Multi-tab interface and split-view, Cloud vault for encrypted credentials, Customizable themes and fonts, Saved commands and shell scripts, Hardware FIDO2 key authentication

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Termius Pro Monthly | $15.00 | per month |
| Termius Pro Monthly | $15.00 | per month |
| Termius Pro Annual | $119.00 | per year |
| Termius Pro Annual | $119.00 | per year |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Smooth and fast
- 👍 Intuitive and easy to use
- 🔒 Secure with SSH/SFTP support
- 💡 Useful features like port forwarding
- 👍 Customizable keyboard and themes

**What reviewers complain about**

- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
- 🔋 Drains battery quickly
- 🤔 Aggressive upselling of premium features

**Reported bugs**

- Syncing issues causing data loss
- Keyboard and cursor issues on iPad
- Freezing and unresponsiveness after background use

**Requested features**

- Add support for ProxyCommand
- Improve keyboard handling and arrow key functionality
- Implement iCloud sync instead of proprietary cloud
- Provide a one-time purchase option for individual users


### SSH Tunnel

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-tunnel-vpn-and-socks5-proxy/id1260223542)

**Currently charting:** #56 Top Paid · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Securely manage SSH tunnels and port forwarding on your mobile device. Configure local SOCKS5 proxies and private tunnels to your own server, with support for various authentication methods and advanced traffic redirection rules.

**Highlights:** Local Port Forwarding, Dynamic Port Forwarding (SOCKS5 proxy), Password, Private Key, 2FA authentication, Multiple SSH Key support, Connection Export & Import, Proxy Auto-Configuration (PAC) file support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- ✅ Works well for SSH tunneling when used as intended
- 🌐 Supports SOCKS5 dynamic forwarding
- 🔐 Supports multiple SSH key formats
- 📱 Useful built-in browser for tunnel access
- ⚙️ Proxy auto-configuration (PAC) support

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🚫 Cannot maintain SSH tunnel in background (30-second limit)
- ⚠️ App disconnects when switched to other applications
- 💰 Expensive for limited functionality ($7.99-$10)
- 🔄 Lacks transparency about iOS limitations in description
- 🌐 In-app browser leaks user IP address

**Reported bugs**

- 2FA login not working despite being advertised
- In-app browser unable to access localhost or local IP addresses
- Private key parsing issues (requires proper line endings)
- Connection drops frequently (every 5 minutes in some cases)
- App crashes unexpectedly

**Requested features**

- Background app refresh capability
- VPN interface implementation for system-wide traffic routing
- Multiple simultaneous tunnels
- Tabs in built-in browser
- Remote port forwarding support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Termius free?

Termius is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SSH Tunnel free?

SSH Tunnel costs $9.99, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Termius or SSH Tunnel?

Termius is rated higher. Termius averages 4.7 out of 5 from 20K ratings, while SSH Tunnel averages 4.0 from 148 ratings.

### Do Termius or SSH Tunnel have ads?

Neither Termius nor SSH Tunnel shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Termius or SSH Tunnel?

Termius ships an update fortnightly, and SSH Tunnel every 6 weeks. Most recently, Termius was updated on October 25, 2026 and SSH Tunnel on October 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Termius or SSH Tunnel?

Termius currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and SSH Tunnel at #56. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*