Comparison

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale vs Shell Drop

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

Head to head
About

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale

This app provides a secure and powerful SSH terminal, file management, and a MagicDNS-aware browser for your Tailscale network. It streamlines server management without needing to switch VPN apps, offering features like real-time monitoring and an integrated editor.

Highlights
  • Secure SSH terminal for Tailscale
  • SFTP file management with built-in editor
  • MagicDNS-aware browser for internal dashboards
  • Real-time Linux server monitoring
  • Multi-tab sessions and customizable themes
  • Resume SSH sessions after app suspension
Features
Read full description

NovaScale is a remote-work and server-operations workspace built for Tailscale. Use SSH, monitoring, private web tools, SFTP, Herdr, Remote Git, and Remote Codex from one app—without switching VPN apps. Built-in Tailscale connects your tailnet inside NovaScale. Traditional SSH hosts and Headscale are also supported. HOSTS - Auto-discover tailnet hosts; organize with aliases, icons, groups and pins. SSH TERMINAL - Maintained native Swift terminal with customizable themes, external keyboards, combo keys, Simple Commands, OSC52 and Neovim support. - Pin terminal/tmux sessions; use copy mode with Page Up/Down and choose prefixes such as Ctrl-A. Touch-scroll, click, select and open menus in mouse-aware apps. - Command/argument suggestions with optional Bash/Zsh integration. Built-in Tailscale handles network changes; recovery depends on network, host and iOS conditions. REMOTE CODEX - Install and configure Codex on your host. Threads are managed there; NovaScale is a remote client and may cache content locally for display. - Connect to your Mac/Linux Codex CLI/app-server via Tailscale. Resume, fork, pin and rename threads; search across projects and sync pins with compatible desktop hosts. - Send prompts/files, review Markdown, LaTeX and changes, handle approvals, and follow goals, subagents and activity. Adjust text size/spacing; open images full screen. - Share files directly over authenticated app-server WebSocket; Pro adds linked-host SFTP transfers with byte progress. Diagnose host setup and compatibility in-app. - Free includes one Codex host, in-app banners and best-effort local notifications. REMOTE HERDR - Connect compatible Herdr on Mac/Linux via Tailscale or traditional SSH. Native protocol and controls for workspaces, tabs, agents and status, with a full terminal experience. - Pin and detach without stopping remote agents; paste images. Free: three daily visits and one pin. Pro: unlimited visits/pins and file/photo uploads. ON-DEVICE DICTATION - Dictate in Terminal, Codex and Herdr on supported iOS 26 devices/languages. Works offline after language assets are installed; raw audio is not saved or uploaded. CODEX & HERDR PUSH - Optional alerts when remote work needs you, even with NovaScale closed. Choose work opened in NovaScale or selected hosts. Requires host-side setup; plan limits apply. Disable at any time. REMOTE GIT - Browse repositories, branches, commits and diffs over SSH. Stage, unstage and commit on the remote host. MONITORING & CONTAINERS - CPU, memory, network, disk and I/O trends; inspect and end processes. Monitor, start, stop and restart Docker and supported macOS Apple containers. Pro adds container deployment. WEB & SFTP - Open services via URL, MagicDNS or Tailscale IP. Optional remote SOCKS5/HTTP CONNECT browser proxy and self-signed certificates; background audio from services such as Jellyfin. - Pro: browse, transfer, preview and edit SFTP files. Share files from iOS to SFTP, Terminal and Codex. LOCAL PROXY - Optional passwordless loopback SOCKS5/HTTP CONNECT access to active-tailnet peers for compatible apps on this device. No location permission needed; background access depends on iOS. PLANS & COMPATIBILITY - Core workflows are free with limits. Pro expands capacity and adds SFTP, flexible iCloud sync, container deployment and advanced customization. iOS 15+; in-app web requires iOS 17+. - Codex and Herdr require compatible host installations. TRANSPARENCY - Not affiliated with Tailscale Inc. Remote Push sends opaque IDs and signed lifecycle events, not prompts, code, commands, patches, responses, transcript paths or working directories. - Codex bootstrap wrapper and companion agent: https://github.com/GalaxNet-Ltd/nova-codex-bootstrap - Built on a maintained libtailscale fork: https://github.com/GalaxNet-Ltd/libtailscale - Support: nova-support@galaxnet.cc - Terms: https://galaxnet.dev/nova/legal/tos/ - Privacy: https://galaxnet.dev/nova/legal/privacy/

About

Shell Drop

This app provides a fast, native terminal for iOS devices, designed for running AI agents. It allows users to paste images and attach files directly into sessions, manage tmux sessions, and securely authenticate with SSH keys. Voice input is also integrated for seamless command entry.

Highlights
  • AI agent integration
  • Image and file pasting
  • Tmux session management
  • SSH key authentication
  • Voice input for commands
  • Customizable keyboard toolbar
  • iCloud sync for connections
Features
Read full description

ShellDrop is a fast, native terminal for iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo, built for running AI agents: Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Hermes, OpenClaw, opencode, anything that lives in tmux on a Mac mini, VPS or any box you can SSH into. WORK WITH YOUR AGENTS - Paste images straight into a session. Copy a screenshot from any app, paste it in the terminal, and your agent reads it. - Attach files too. Tap the paperclip in the toolbar to pick a file from Files, or a photo or video from your library, and it uploads to the server for your agent to read. - You choose the upload size limit. Settings goes from 100 MB to 1 GB, and if a file is over, ShellDrop offers to raise it on the spot. - Tmux aware. Vertical swipe scrolls history, horizontal swipe switches sessions. - Tab names sync with the real tmux session names automatically. - Sessions stay alive in the background while you switch apps. - Agent to clipboard. Ask your agent to write an email, say "copy that to my clipboard", and it lands on your phone ready to paste into your mail app. - Droplet Visualizer: the feature nobody asked for. See all your sessions from the perspective of an Egyptian god. BUILT LIKE A REAL TERMINAL - SSH key authentication. Generate Ed25519 keys or hardware-backed Secure Enclave keys in-app, where the private key never leaves the chip. - Paste-import your existing OpenSSH keys. - The keyboard toolbar is yours. Tap and hold to rearrange the keys you use most, and create your own custom Tmux key bindings. - Sticky ctrl for all of your perverted tmux activities. - Text selection with a dedicated selection mode, long-press word select, and one-tap links. - Nerd Fonts. FiraCode and JetBrains Mono render the glyphs nvim and LazyVim need. - Full screen mode for extra real estate. - Full iPad support including 13" iPad Pro, plus hardware keyboards. - iCloud sync keeps saved connections on every device, and you can switch it off in Settings any time. Private keys stay on your device by design. NO SUBSCRIPTION Every feature included. VOICE DROP Tap the mic on the keyboard toolbar and talk. Your words drop into the prompt at the cursor. Transcription runs on-device with Apple speech, or through your own Groq API key for whisper-large-v3-turbo. Nothing sends until you hit return. Prefer a dictation keyboard like Wispr Flow? Works great here too. PRIVACY Credentials live in the iOS keychain on your device. There is no account, and no telemetry or analytics are collected. Terminal traffic goes to your servers over SSH and nowhere else. Built by an indie developer who runs AI agents every day.

Screenshots

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale4 screens
Shell Drop4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale at 5.0 against Shell Drop's 4.3. NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale also leads on review sentiment (85% vs 67%) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). Shell Drop's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and update cadence (every 4 days vs every 6 weeks). On price, ratings volume, ads and chart position 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. NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Shell Drop asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.3. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 12 and 6 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 85% of NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale's written reviews are positive against 67% of Shell Drop's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale ships an update every 6 weeks, Shell Drop every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 14, 2026 and November 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale versus Shell Drop: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNovaScale, SSH/Herdr+TailscaleShell Drop
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (12 ratings) — better4.3 (6 ratings)
Positive reviews84.6% of reviews — better66.7% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better6
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemiumFree — better
Best chart rank#115 — better#164
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size118 MB17 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperGalaxNet Ltd.Daniel Bilsborough

Customer experience

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale

All ratings10 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive84.6%
Neutral7.7%
Negative7.7%

Shell Drop

All ratings6 ratings
Positive83.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative16.7%
Written reviews3 reviews
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%

In-app purchases

3 purchases

NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale

Subscriptions2
  • NovaScale Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • NovaScale Pro Annual14 Days trial$14.991 Year
One-time1
  • NovaScale Pro Lifetime$39.99
None

Shell Drop

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale free?
NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shell Drop free?
Shell Drop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale or Shell Drop?
NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale is rated higher. NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale averages 5.0 out of 5 from 12 ratings, while Shell Drop averages 4.3 from 6 ratings.
Do NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale or Shell Drop have ads?
Neither NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale nor Shell Drop shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale or Shell Drop?
NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale ships an update every 6 weeks, and Shell Drop every 4 days. Most recently, NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale was updated on November 14, 2026 and Shell Drop on November 15, 2026.
Which is more popular, NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale or Shell Drop?
NovaScale, SSH/Herdr+Tailscale currently peaks at #115 in the App Store charts, and Shell Drop at #164. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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