Comparison

PiFi vs Pi SSH

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

Head to head
About

PiFi

Read full description

No need for terminal, SSH or even LuCI. PiFi has all of pro features you love from OpenWrt, reimagined to be more capable, more simple and even more fun. So things like blocking trackers and ads, connecting or switching VPN profiles and accessing your network-stored documents, photos or videos are now just a tap away on iPhone and iPad. NETWORK SETTINGS - Customize network settings, setup a travel router, and more with just a few taps WIREGUARD & OPENVPN CLIENT - Easily upload and manage multiple VPN profiles directly from your iPhone or iPad. Create a VPN network for ALL your devices in seconds ADGUARD HOME - Access AdGuard Home software for network-wide ad and tracking blocking NETWORK STORAGE - Easily expand your network storage capacity (USB storage, SSD, or SD Card) and access your files from anywhere on the network ** COMPATIBILITY NOTICE This app WILL ONLY work if your Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 has been flashed with PiFi firmware, either downloaded from the PiFi website or through a pre-configured SD Card. Standard OpenWrt builds that are not optimised for PiFi are not compatible with this app. For full compatibility details, see pifi.org TRADEMARK NOTICE Raspberry Pi is a trademark of Raspberry Pi Ltd, AdGuard and AdGuard Home are trademarks of Adguard Software Ltd, WireGuard is a registered trademark of Jason A. Donenfeld, OpenWrt is a trademark owned by Software Freedom Conservancy (SFC). All other trademarks and copyrights are the property of their respective owners. PiFi firmware, software, and accessories are developed by PiFi Ltd, an independent project.

About

Pi SSH

Control your Raspberry Pi remotely with an interactive SSH terminal, file manager, and system monitoring tools. Manage Docker, systemd, and GPIO pins directly from your iPhone or iPad over your local network.

Highlights
  • Interactive SSH terminal
  • SFTP file manager
  • Live system monitoring
  • Docker and systemd control
  • GPIO pinout grid
  • Network tools
  • Command snippets and macros
Features
Read full description

Pi SSH is the Raspberry Pi control app with a real interactive SSH terminal — plus SFTP files, live monitoring, GPIO, Docker, and systemd. Connect over direct LAN SSH (no cloud relay) from iPhone or iPad. SSH TERMINAL (NEW IN 2.0) Open a full VT100/xterm SSH terminal to your Raspberry Pi or Linux box. Colors, interactive tools (htop, nano, vim), password or Ed25519 keys, optional jump/bastion host, on-screen shortcuts (Tab, Ctrl+C, arrows), and reconnect when the shell ends. The terminal uses its own session so live metrics keep updating. CONNECT WITH CONFIDENCE Clearer connection help when SSH fails, plus Scan network from the error screen. Bonjour discovery and Wi‑Fi subnet scanning find Pis on your local network. SFTP FILE MANAGER Browse folders, upload and download files, edit text configs, rename, copy, move, and delete — plus upload from the iOS share sheet. DOCKER & SYSTEMD Start, stop, and restart containers and services. View Docker and journal logs with live follow. GPIO CONTROL 40-pin pinout grid with per-pin input/output, PWM, custom labels, and bus-pin safety prompts. SYSTEM MONITORING CPU, memory, temperature, disk, and network — with charts and history. Home Screen widgets show the latest metrics after you capture them in the app. SYSTEM ADMINISTRATION Docker containers & images • systemd units • apt upgradable packages • journal/syslog viewer • edit boot or SSH config files. NETWORK TOOLS Local-network SSH discovery (Bonjour + subnet scan), Wake-on-LAN, TCP port checks, plus ping/traceroute run on the Pi. SNIPPETS & MACROS Save commands and run them with one tap; chain steps into macros. PRIVACY-FIRST Secrets stay in Keychain. Works over LAN/VPN — your credentials never pass through our servers. Supports Raspberry Pi OS and other Debian/Ubuntu-style Linux installs.

Screenshots

PiFi4 screens
Pi SSH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Pi SSH at every 3 days against PiFi's every 6 weeks. PiFi's advantage is iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PiFi ships an update every 6 weeks, Pi SSH every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 18, 2026 and September 22, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
PiFi versus Pi SSH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPiFiPi SSH
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (5 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—5 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size93 MB21 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperPiFi LtdPankaj Gaikar

In-app purchases

None

PiFi

No in-app purchases

None

Pi SSH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PiFi free?
PiFi is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pi SSH free?
Pi SSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PiFi or Pi SSH have ads?
Neither PiFi nor Pi SSH shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PiFi or Pi SSH?
PiFi ships an update every 6 weeks, and Pi SSH every 3 days. Most recently, PiFi was updated on September 18, 2026 and Pi SSH on September 22, 2026.

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