# Termius vs Shelly

The clearest difference is ratings volume: Termius at 19K against Shelly's 273. Termius also leads on rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and chart position (#3 vs #192). Shelly's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Termius sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $15.00 per month and Shelly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Termius holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Termius has 19K ratings behind it against 273, 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 76% of Shelly's.

Termius ships an update fortnightly, Shelly every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 24, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Termius | Shelly |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.7 (19K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termius-modern-ssh-client/id549039908/reviews)** | [4.4 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **19K** | 273 |
| Positive reviews | **81.3% of reviews** | 76.2% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Freemium | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#3** | #192 |
| Size | 226 MB | 11 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | **13.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Termius Corporation](https://appshunter.io/developer/549040051) | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) |

## What reviewers say

### Termius

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

**Currently charting:** #3 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


### Shelly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999)

**Currently charting:** #192 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful and user-friendly SSH client for mobile devices. It offers robust terminal emulation, gesture controls, and customizable keyboard shortcuts for efficient remote server management. Supports key-based authentication and iCloud sync.

**Highlights:** Hardware accelerated text rendering, Robust terminal emulation, Gesture control for navigation, Customizable keyboard toolbar, Key file authentication, iCloud sync support, Terminal color themes

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

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade To Pro | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lightweight and fast
- 👍 Customizable keyboard and gestures
- 🔒 Supports SSH key authentication
- 💡 Useful shortcuts and toolbar
- 👍 Reliable background connections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connection drops when switching apps
- 🐛 Toolbar issues with hardware keyboard
- 🐛 Garbled display with some terminal programs
- 🐛 Lack of support for newer SSH key formats
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with password managers

**Reported bugs**

- Saved profiles get overwritten unexpectedly
- Toolbar persists even with auto-hide enabled
- Cursor movement issues with hardware keyboard
- Inability to copy/paste with Magic Keyboard

**Requested features**

- Add support for port forwarding
- Implement Mosh protocol support
- Allow customization of default font
- Provide option for multiple app instances
- Add ability to remap hardware keyboard keys


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Termius free?

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

### Is Shelly free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Termius or Shelly?

Termius is rated higher. Termius averages 4.7 out of 5 from 19K ratings, while Shelly averages 4.4 from 273 ratings.

### Do Termius or Shelly have ads?

Neither Termius nor Shelly shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Termius or Shelly?

Termius ships an update fortnightly, and Shelly every 2 months. Most recently, Termius was updated on September 24, 2026 and Shelly on September 24, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Termius or Shelly?

Termius currently peaks at #3 in the App Store charts, and Shelly at #192. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

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