Comparison

Termius vs iSH Shell

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

Head to head
About

Termius

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
Read full description

Termius is an SSH client and terminal, as it should be. Connect with one tap from any mobile and desktop device—no re-entering IP addresses, ports, and passwords. With a free Termius Starter plan, you can: · Connect from your mobile and desktop device with SSH, Mosh, Telnet, Port Forwarding, and SFTP. · Get a desktop-grade terminal experience with a virtual keyboard covering all the special keys required, or connect your Bluetooth keyboard. · Use gestures or shake the device while in the terminal to emulate stroking of Tab, arrows, PgUp/Down, Home, and End, etc. · Work in several sessions simultaneously with a multi-tab interface and split-view support. · Authenticate using hardware FIDO2 keys. · Set custom environment variables. · Customize your terminal themes and fonts for each connection. · Save your favorite and frequently used commands and shell scripts to execute them with a tap instead of typing. · Quickly access the unified history of your terminal commands. · Get the support of ECDSA and ed25519 keys and a chacha20-poly1305 cipher. · Ad-free. With the Termius Pro plan, you can also: · Access your connection settings and credentials from any device, anytime, with an encrypted cloud vault. · No limitations on the number of devices to sync. · Run your saved commands on multiple sessions or servers, or instantly get them autocompleted in the terminal. · Connect through Proxy and jump servers. · Integrate with AWS and DigitalOcean. · Protect your credentials with Touch ID or Face ID and your account with two-factor authentication. · Keep your keys on your machine with SSH agent forwarding. Termius reinvents the command line experience. We strive to make remote access for admins and engineers a more productive and enjoyable experience. Termius Pro Subscription is available through auto-renewable annual or monthly subscriptions (prices vary by region). It attaches to the Termius account to enable access to backup, sync, and all Pro benefits on multiple devices across all platforms supported by Termius. A subscription may be used both for personal and business purposes. Payment will be charged to your iTunes Account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription will renew automatically. Cancellation of a future subscription may be made up to 24 hours before the end of the trial period. The actual subscription may not be manually canceled before its termination date. Subscriptions may be managed, ​including disabling auto-renewal, in the Account Settings after purchase. Please review our privacy policy https://termius.com/privacy_policy.html and terms of use https://termius.com/terms_of_use.html.

About

iSH Shell

Experience a Linux-like command-line environment directly on your iOS device. This application allows you to perform common Linux operations such as editing, moving, and manipulating files using familiar commands.

Highlights
  • Linux-like shell environment
  • File editing with sed and cat
  • File manipulation
  • Command-line operations
  • Pocket Linux experience
Features
Read full description

A Linux-like shell on iOS. You can edit files with sed and cat, move them around, and more! https://github.com/ish-app/ish/

Screenshots

Termius4 screens
iSH Shell1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: iSH Shell at none against Termius's 4. iSH Shell also leads on iOS requirement (11.0 vs 17.0). Termius's advantage is ratings volume (19K vs 1.2K) and chart position (#4 vs #17). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence 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. Termius sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month. iSH Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.7 for Termius against 4.7 for iSH Shell. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Termius has 19K ratings behind it against 1.2K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 81% of Termius's written reviews are positive against 80% of iSH Shell's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Termius ships an update fortnightly, iSH Shell every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 25, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Termius versus iSH Shell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTermiusiSH Shell
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (19K ratings)4.7 (1.2K ratings)
Positive reviews81.3% of reviews — better80.2% of reviews
Number of ratings19K — better1.2K
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#4 — better#17
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.011.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size226 MB6 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperTermius CorporationTheodore Dubois

Customer experience

Termius

All ratings19,160 ratings
Positive93.3%
Neutral1.8%
Negative5.0%
Written reviews2,459 reviews
Positive81.3%
Neutral4.4%
Negative14.4%

iSH Shell

All ratings1,230 ratings
Positive92.8%
Neutral2.6%
Negative4.6%
Written reviews398 reviews
Positive80.2%
Neutral8.3%
Negative11.6%

User reviews

Termius

From 19K App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

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

iSH Shell

From 1.2K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 🚀 Excellent Linux environment
  • 👍 Great for SSH and network utilities
  • 💡 Allows running Linux apps on iOS
  • 🔒 Secure and sandboxed
  • 👍 Customizable and flexible

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 Battery intensive
  • ⚠️ Limited functionality compared to full Linux
  • ⚠️ Outdated packages and dependencies

Bugs and requests

Termius

Reported bugs

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

Requested features

4 requests
  • 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

iSH Shell

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Cursor focus issues
  • Incompatibility with certain commands and packages
  • Mounting issues with iOS file system

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add support for more Linux distributions
  • Improve performance and stability
  • Implement GUI support
  • Add shortcuts and automation features

In-app purchases

4 purchases

Termius

Subscriptions4
  • Termius Pro Monthly3 Days trial$15.001 Month
  • Termius Pro Monthly$15.001 Month
  • Termius Pro Annual14 Days trial$119.001 Year
Show 1 more
  • Termius Pro Annual$119.001 Year
None

iSH Shell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Termius free?
Termius is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is iSH Shell free?
iSH Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Termius or iSH Shell?
Termius and iSH Shell are both rated 4.7 out of 5 on the App Store, from 19K and 1.2K ratings respectively.
Do Termius or iSH Shell have ads?
Neither Termius nor iSH Shell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Termius or iSH Shell?
Termius ships an update fortnightly, and iSH Shell every 3 weeks. Most recently, Termius was updated on September 25, 2026 and iSH Shell on September 23, 2026.
Which is more popular, Termius or iSH Shell?
Termius currently peaks at #4 in the App Store charts, and iSH Shell at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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