Termius vs iSH Shell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
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.
- 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
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Termius is a modern SSH client designed for productivity and collaboration. Connect with one tap from desktop and mobile. No re-entering IP addresses, ports, and passwords. With a free Termius Starter plan, you can: · Connect from your mobile and desktop devices with SSH, SFTP, Mosh, Telnet, Port Forwarding, Serial and through Proxy and jump servers. · 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. · Customize your terminal themes and fonts for each connection. · Set custom environment variables. · Save your frequently used commands and shell scripts to execute them with one tap. · Execute your saved commands on multiple sessions or servers at once, or instantly get them autocompleted in the terminal. · Get smart autocomplete for commands, paths, and history, and turn plain-language descriptions into shell commands with AI. · Quickly access the global history of your terminal commands. · Authenticate using hardware FIDO2 keys. · Generate SSH keys in the Secure Enclave, confirm each connection with Face ID or Touch ID, and protect your account with two-factor authentication. · Ad-free. With the Termius Pro plan, you can also: · Access your connection settings and credentials from any device at any time with an encrypted cloud vault. · Sync your data across all your desktop and mobile devices. · Bookmark session logs with notes to your vault. · Integrate with AWS, DigitalOcean, and Azure. Termius reinvents the command-line experience. We strive to make remote access for admins and engineers more productive and enjoyable. Please review our privacy policy https://termius.com/privacy_policy.html and terms of use https://termius.com/terms_of_use.html
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.
- Linux-like shell environment
- File editing with sed and cat
- File manipulation
- Command-line operations
- Pocket Linux experience
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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
Verdict
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 #19). 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
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.
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 split almost evenly too, at 81% and 80% positive.
Termius ships an update fortnightly, iSH Shell every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 20, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Termius | iSH Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.7 (19K ratings) | 4.7 (1.2K ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 81.1% of reviews — better | 80.3% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 19K — better | 1.2K |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly — better | Every 3 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free — better |
| Best chart rank | #4 — better | #19 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 11.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 226 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Termius Corporation | Theodore Dubois |
Customer experience
Termius
iSH Shell
User reviews
Termius
From 19K App Store ratingsWhat 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 ratingsWhat 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
Termius
- Termius Pro Monthly3 Days trial$15.001 Month
- Termius Pro Monthly$15.001 Month
- Termius Pro Annual14 Days trial$119.001 Year
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- Termius Pro Annual$119.001 Year
iSH Shell
No in-app purchases
