# Termius vs iSH Shell

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 #18). On price, rating, review sentiment and update cadence there is nothing between them.

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 are what separate them: 81% of Termius's written reviews are positive against 80% of iSH Shell's.

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

## The numbers

| Metric | Termius | iSH Shell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908/reviews) | [4.7 (1.2K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 1.2K |
| Positive reviews | **81.3% of reviews** | 80.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | **No** |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 3 weeks |
| Monetization | Freemium | **Free** |
| Best chart rank | **#4** | #18 |
| Size | 226 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **11.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Termius Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/549040051) | [Theodore Dubois](https://appshunter.io/developer/1432356577) |

## What reviewers say

### Termius

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

**Currently charting:** #4 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #11 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


### iSH Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ish-shell/id1436902243)

**Currently charting:** #18 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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- ⚠️ Outdated packages and dependencies

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add support for more Linux distributions
- Improve performance and stability
- Implement GUI support
- Add shortcuts and automation features


## Frequently asked 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 #18. 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.*