Comparison

Mobile Code Remote Desktop vs Astra Shell

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

Head to head
About

Mobile Code Remote Desktop

Control your desktop terminal and view your screen in real-time from your mobile device. Offers high-level security with no external server communication, enabling you to code from anywhere. A subscription is required to access the terminal feature.

Highlights
  • Control desktop terminal remotely
  • View desktop screen in real-time
  • Automatic terminal resizing
  • High-level security
  • No external server communication
  • Code from any location
Features
Read full description

Start Vibe Coding on Mobile Now you can remotely control your desktop and check coding results in real-timeβ€”right from your mobile device. Currently supports macOS only. Windows and Linux support will be added in future updates. Key Features β€’ Control your desktop terminal directly from your mobile β€’ View and interact with your desktop screen in real time β€’ Terminal resizes automatically to fit your mobile screen β€’ High-level security with no external server communication Example: Claude Code Integration By installing Claude Code on your desktop, you can immediately enable Vibe Coding. No server configuration is required, and you can easily build a real mobile development environment. Code from Anywhere Whether you're commuting, at a cafΓ©, or lying in bed β€” keep coding from your phone. Your development environment no longer has location limits. Subscription Information Mobile Code offers both monthly and lifetime subscription plans. A subscription is required to access the terminal feature. Privacy Policy: https://best-friend-7a1.notion.site/Terms-of-Service-21c5ee0f842981fba41fcca374b2511f?source=copy_link Terms of Service: https://best-friend-7a1.notion.site/Terms-of-Service-21c5ee0f842981fba41fcca374b2511f?source=copy_link

About

Astra Shell

Features
Read full description

Astra Shell is a native terminal client designed for persistent remote work. Traditional remote terminals are tied to the current device and network. When a client restarts, the network disconnects, or you switch devices, you often need to reconnect and find your place again. Astra Shell keeps shells running on a remote host you control, so your Mac, iPhone, and iPad can return to the same terminal and continue from the existing context. Key features: β€’ Persistent remote shells Remote shells and their tasks continue running after the client disconnects. Reconnect to return to an existing terminal. β€’ Continue across devices Open the same shell from Mac, iPhone, or iPad to keep viewing and entering commands. β€’ Native terminal experience Supports common terminal modes, colors, wide characters, alternate screens, mouse input, paged history, and copy and paste. β€’ Remote files Browse remote directories, upload and download files, preview text, view transfer progress, and inspect Git status. β€’ Astra and SSH hosts Connect to a self-hosted Astra service over QUIC/TLS, or use standalone SSH/SFTP mode with a standard server. β€’ Private-key security SSH private keys are stored in Keychain. Host configurations and credentials can synchronize through iCloud Keychain when enabled. Astra mode requires the open-source astrad service on a host you own or manage, with an authorized public key configured. Standard SSH hosts do not require astrad. Installation instructions are available on the support website. Astra Shell contains no advertising or behavioral analytics. It does not send terminal commands, remote files, or SSH private keys to the developer.

Screenshots

Mobile Code Remote Desktop4 screens
Astra Shell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Astra Shell at none against Mobile Code Remote Desktop's 2. Mobile Code Remote Desktop's advantage is device support (4 vs 2) and iOS requirement (12.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. Mobile Code Remote Desktop sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Astra Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Mobile Code Remote Desktop ships an update every 3 weeks, Astra Shell every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Β· 5 level
Mobile Code Remote Desktop versus Astra Shell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobile Code Remote DesktopAstra Shell
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsβ€”
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks β€” betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
MonetizationSubscriptionβ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS12.0 β€” better17.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size41 MB20 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerwon choiηŽ₯ η†Š

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Mobile Code Remote Desktop

Subscriptions1
  • Mobile Code Subscription 1m$0.991 Month
One-time1
  • Mobile Code Subscription Life$9.99
None

Astra Shell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Mobile Code Remote Desktop free?
Mobile Code Remote Desktop is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Astra Shell free?
Astra Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Mobile Code Remote Desktop or Astra Shell have ads?
Neither Mobile Code Remote Desktop nor Astra Shell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Mobile Code Remote Desktop or Astra Shell?
Mobile Code Remote Desktop ships an update every 3 weeks, and Astra Shell every 4 weeks. Most recently, Mobile Code Remote Desktop was updated on November 5, 2026 and Astra Shell on November 6, 2026.

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