Comparison

Insterm vs OSTerm

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

Head to head
About

Insterm

Features
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By specifying the host name (IP address, etc.), user name, password, and port number in the app, you can log in remotely using SSH. After logging in, you can display the terminal screen and perform command operations.

About

OSTerm

Features
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An SSH terminal for people who carry their servers with them. No ads. No in-app purchases. No account to create, and nothing collected about you. โ–  Built for tablets On a wide screen, the profile list and the terminal sit side by side. On a phone it folds down to one screen at a time. Connect a Bluetooth keyboard and the on-screen keyboard gets out of the way. When you do need it, it never covers the terminal โ€” the terminal shrinks to make room instead, so no output is ever hidden. โ–  No limits Unlimited connection profiles. Unlimited open tabs. Nothing locked behind a paywall. โ–  CJK input Type Korean, Japanese, and Chinese in the terminal. The keyboard opens in the language you set the app to (when that keyboard is enabled on your device), and a language toggle is provided for physical keyboards. โ–  Sessions survive a quick switch Switch to another app for a moment and come back โ€” your session is still there. iOS pauses apps in the background, so if the server drops a long-idle connection, reconnect from the same tab in one tap. โ–  Everything you would expect - SFTP file manager: upload, download, rename, delete - Command snippets: save what you type often, run it in one tap - Profile backup: export and import as a password-protected file - Bundled coding fonts: D2Coding (fixed-width Hangul), JetBrains Mono - Colour schemes and adjustable text size โ–  Authentication Password, private keys (PEM/OpenSSH), and keyboard-interactive. Import key files from your device and they are stored safely. On first connection the host key fingerprint is shown for you to verify, and you are warned if a stored key ever changes. It is never accepted silently. โ–  How your data is stored Connection details never leave your device. The whole database is encrypted and its key is held in the iOS Keychain. Passwords and key passphrases get a second layer of encryption on top. Nothing is sent to the developer. This app has no server. โ–  Languages English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), Spanish, Arabic Open-source licence notices are available in the app's settings.

Screenshots

Insterm3 screens
OSTerm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: OSTerm at none against Insterm's shown. OSTerm also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 months). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Insterm ships an update every 5 months, OSTerm daily. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Insterm versus OSTerm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterInstermOSTerm
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 monthsDaily โ€” better
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size10 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYusuke Moridongmin song

In-app purchases

None

Insterm

No in-app purchases

None

OSTerm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Insterm free?
Insterm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is OSTerm free?
OSTerm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Insterm or OSTerm have ads?
Insterm shows ads; OSTerm does not.
Which is updated more often, Insterm or OSTerm?
Insterm ships an update every 5 months, and OSTerm daily. Most recently, Insterm was updated on November 8, 2026 and OSTerm on November 6, 2026.

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