Comparison

Tempest 3 vs SwiftServer

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

Head to head
About

Tempest 3

This cross-platform client offers robust server management with AI assistance for diagnostics and task completion. Securely connect, edit files, and synchronize workflows across devices with advanced encryption and collaboration features.

Highlights
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • Cloud synchronization
  • Advanced security with end-to-end encryption
  • AI Copilot for server tasks
  • Comprehensive SSH/SFTP support
  • Server and Kubernetes management
  • Collaboration and sharing features
Features
Read full description

Tempest is the SSH and Remote Desktop client built for people who actually manage servers. Connect via SSH, SFTP, or Mosh. Forward ports. Transfer files. Manage Kubernetes clusters. Collaborate in real-time. All from your phone, tablet, or Mac — with end-to-end encrypted cloud sync across every device. CORE FEATURES • SSH & Mosh — Reliable connections, even on flaky networks. Mosh keeps your session alive where SSH drops. • SFTP File Manager — Browse, edit, and transfer remote files with a native file manager experience. • Port Forwarding — Set up local and remote SSH tunnels in seconds. • Storm AI (Pro) — An AI agent that plans, executes, and completes terminal tasks for you. Not a chatbot — a copilot that actually runs commands. • Real-Time Collaboration — Invite teammates into your live terminal session. Debug together, resolve faster. • Kubernetes — Sync kubeconfigs, switch clusters, manage pods with AI-assisted workflows. • Post-Quantum Cryptography — One-tap switch to PQC key exchange. Protect your connections against future quantum threats today. • Connection Multiplexing — Reuse TCP connections. New sessions open instantly as additional channels. • Hardware Security Keys — FIDO2 / YubiKey authentication via ed25519-sk and ecdsa-sk. • 1Password Integration — Pull credentials directly from your vault. SECURITY FIRST Zero-knowledge architecture. Your data is end-to-end encrypted before it ever leaves your device. Encryption keys stay on your device — we never see them. Encryption is fully open-sourced for transparency. SYNC EVERYTHING Sessions, keys, snippets, and configurations sync across major OS. Pick up exactly where you left off. PRO UNLOCKS • Background connection persistence • Biometric app lock • Server performance monitoring dashboard • Full Storm AI access • Cloud sync --- Tempest is built by engineers, for engineers. Questions? Join us on Discord: gotempest.app/discord

About

SwiftServer

Manage and monitor your servers remotely from your Apple devices. Provides real-time insights into CPU, memory, network, and storage usage, along with full terminal control and SFTP file management. Syncs data securely across devices.

Highlights
  • Real-time server monitoring
  • Full-featured terminal control
  • SFTP file management
  • iCloud data sync
  • Customizable terminal interface
  • Docker container health monitoring
Read full description

SwiftServer is an SSH client and server monitor for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It is for developers, sysadmins, and homelab owners who run Linux, macOS, or Windows servers and want a terminal, live status, Docker, and SFTP in one app. Nothing is installed on the server. SwiftServer connects over the SSH access you already have. No agent, no daemon, no account. MONITORING - CPU per core, load averages, and temperature - Memory as used, cached, free, and swap - Live process table, sortable and searchable - Network speed and totals, with vnStat history by hour, day, month, and year - Storage per volume with disk I/O speed, latency, and IOPS - NVIDIA GPU: utilization, memory, fan, temperature, power, and compute processes - Public IP and location per server. Global View maps every server with live latency. - Linux, macOS, and Windows on one dashboard - Widgets, Live Activities, and the Dynamic Island TERMINAL - SSH and Mosh sessions. Mosh keeps the shell alive through network changes and sleep. - Keyboard bar with Esc, Tab, Ctrl, Alt, arrows, and ^C on iPhone and iPad. Hardware keyboards work too. - Snippets: save a command once, run it in any session, or across many machines with a result per machine - 518 color themes with separate light and dark picks, nine bundled monospace fonts, and custom font import - Mac: Local Shell opens a terminal on your own Mac in the same window DOCKER - Speaks the Docker Engine API over the SSH connection. No Docker port is exposed. - Overview: engine status, counts, reclaimable space, and live CPU and memory across containers - Containers: logs, processes, inspect. Create, start, stop, restart, pause, kill, remove. - Compose projects: up, down, start, stop, restart, pull, and logs - Images: pull with progress, remove, prune. Volumes and networks: inspect, remove, prune. Live event stream. SFTP - Browse, upload, download, rename, delete, and create files and folders - Copy files from one server to another without routing them through your device - Quick Look preview and a text editor with save NETWORKING - Port forwarding: local, remote, and dynamic SOCKS rules with auto start and a built-in browser on iPhone and iPad - Jump hosts: reach machines behind a bastion through one hop or a chain, each with its own credentials and host key check - Connection proxies: SOCKS5 and HTTP CONNECT profiles, per machine or per forwarding rule KEYS AND SECURITY - Password, SSH key, and keyboard-interactive login, including two-factor prompts - Generate Ed25519, ECDSA, or RSA keys on the device, or import existing keys - Host key fingerprint on first contact. A changed host key stops the connection. - Secrets stay in the device Keychain, behind Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode if you choose - Built on Traversio, our open-source SSH engine written in Swift ICLOUD SYNC AND PRIVACY - Machines, identities, keys, snippets, forwarding rules, proxy profiles, and trusted host keys sync through your own iCloud. Passwords and private keys go only through iCloud Keychain, end-to-end encrypted. - No accounts and no SwiftServer servers. What you save stays on your devices and in your iCloud. - The only outbound request is the IP lookup, sent from your server to ipinfo.io. The result is stored on your device only. FREE AND PREMIUM The core of SwiftServer is free: saved machines and keys, live server status, the full terminal with Mosh and snippets, SFTP, port forwarding, Docker browsing, widgets, and Global View. Premium adds unlimited monitored servers, iCloud sync, unlimited forwarding sessions, jump hosts, proxies, Docker management, terminal themes and fonts, SFTP preview and editing, and city, organization, and map pin for IP location. Premium is a monthly or yearly subscription, each with a free trial, or a one-time lifetime purchase. One purchase covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Support: support@gitswift.com Terms of Use: https://swiftserver.app/terms Privacy Policy: https://swiftserver.app/privacy

Screenshots

Tempest 34 screens
SwiftServer4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Tempest 3 at 5.0 against SwiftServer's 4.3. Tempest 3 also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 87%) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.0). SwiftServer's advantage is chart position (#68 vs unranked) and ratings volume (30 vs 9). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. Tempest 3 sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month and SwiftServer sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Tempest 3 holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 9 and 30 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of Tempest 3's written reviews are positive against 87% of SwiftServer's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Tempest 3 ships an update every 5 days, SwiftServer every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 20, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
Tempest 3 versus SwiftServer: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTempest 3SwiftServer
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (9 ratings) — better4.3 (30 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews — better86.8% of reviews
Number of ratings930 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank—#68 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size155 MB38 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAtlas Express LLCGitSwift LLC

Customer experience

Tempest 3

All ratings9 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews11 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

SwiftServer

All ratings30 ratings
Positive86.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative13.3%
Written reviews53 reviews
Positive86.8%
Neutral7.5%
Negative5.7%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Tempest 3

Subscriptions2
  • Tempest Pro - Monthly$7.991 Month
  • Tempest Pro - Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time1
  • Tempest Pro Lifetime$179.99
3 purchases

SwiftServer

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Premium3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Yearly Premium14 Days trial$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • Lifetime Premuim$34.99

Questions

Is Tempest 3 free?
Tempest 3 is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SwiftServer free?
SwiftServer is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Tempest 3 or SwiftServer?
Tempest 3 is rated higher. Tempest 3 averages 5.0 out of 5 from 9 ratings, while SwiftServer averages 4.3 from 30 ratings.
Do Tempest 3 or SwiftServer have ads?
Neither Tempest 3 nor SwiftServer shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tempest 3 or SwiftServer?
Tempest 3 ships an update every 5 days, and SwiftServer every 9 days. Most recently, Tempest 3 was updated on September 20, 2026 and SwiftServer on September 26, 2026.

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