SwiftyTerminal vs Ledge Notebook
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
SwiftyTerminal
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Learn Linux commands on your iPhone or iPad. SwiftyTerminal is a pocket shell where you can practice ls, grep, sed, awk, pipes and redirects, plus ping, nslookup and SSH. When you get stuck, ask the Command Copilot in plain English: describe what you want to do and get a real command you can run. Type ? followed by a task, like "? show hidden files", and the answer lands in the input line, ready to run or edit. Type explain before any command line and it is broken down piece by piece, so you learn as you go. On devices with Apple Intelligence the copilot runs on the on-device model. Everywhere else it answers from a built-in offline guide. Nothing you type leaves your device. COMMAND COPILOT - Plain English to a runnable command, checked against the commands this app actually has - Type explain before a command to decode pipes, options and redirects - Commands that delete or overwrite data are never run for you: they wait in the input line - Recent answers are saved so you can run them again - A searchable reference of every built-in command, with examples ASK FROM ANYWHERE - Shortcuts: Explain a Terminal Command, Suggest a Terminal Command, Run in Terminal, Open Command Copilot - Say "Explain grep in SwiftyTerminal" or "Ask SwiftyTerminal for a command" - Every command is searchable from Spotlight FILES AND TEXT List, create, copy, move and delete files and folders with ls, cd, mkdir, touch, cp, mv, rm and cat. Inspect with file, wc, head and tail. Search and process text with find, grep (-i -v -n -c), sort, uniq, sed and awk, plus pipes, redirects and glob patterns. NETWORK TOOLS ping, nslookup, curl, netcat and port scans for hosts you own, plus SSH sessions with remote commands and file transfer. SYSTEM AND SCRIPTING date, cal, uptime, df, uname, environment variables, aliases and history. A built-in mini Python and Lua interpreter for quick math and variables. A FRESH LOOK A hand-drawn design with living "thinking orb" animations, a Liquid Glass input bar, four terminal themes and adjustable text size. Reduce Motion calms every animation. SwiftyTerminal is a simulated terminal that runs entirely inside the app sandbox. It does not download or run external code. Who it's for: developers, students learning the command line, IT and network folks, and anyone curious about Unix commands.
Ledge Notebook
This app allows you to write and run code directly within your Markdown notes. Connect securely to your own server to execute commands, manage environments, and integrate AI agents. Organize your notes with workspaces, folders, and backlinks for efficient development workflows.
- Run shell, Python, Node, and more code blocks
- Integrate AI agents for prompt handling
- Live Markdown preview with tables and images
- Organize notes with workspaces, folders, and tags
- Secure SSH connection to your own server
- Notes stored locally on your machine
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Ledge is a Markdown notebook that runs the code in your notes. Write the commands for a deploy, a fix or a setup once, with the reasoning beside them, and run each block with a tap. The output appears right under the block. On iPhone and iPad, Ledge opens the notes on your own server: a Linux machine or a Mac running the free Ledge server, reached over SSH. Your notes, shells and commands stay on your machine. RUN ANYTHING • Shell, Python, Node, TypeScript, Ruby, PHP and Redis blocks run with the tools on your server • Add SQL or any other language by naming the command that runs it, such as psql or mysql • Prompt blocks hand a request to an AI agent on your server, such as Claude Code, which can read your notes • Answer a running command's prompts by typing into its output, with ^C, ^D, Esc and arrow keys above the keyboard • Each note keeps its own shell, so a cd or an exported variable carries into the next block • Give a note its own working directory, environment and secrets, kept outside the note • Run a note's blocks on another machine over SSH with one line at the top of the note • Mark a risky block to ask before it runs • A command keeps running on the server after you lock the phone, and its output is waiting when you come back WRITE AND ORGANIZE • Markdown with live preview, tables, checklists and images, including photos from the camera • Link notes to each other, with outline, backlinks and tags panels • Workspaces, folders, favorites and full-text search • Use the same notes from Ledge for Mac and from every phone and iPad you pair PRIVATE AND SECURE • You stay in control of your notes: they live on your own machine, not on our servers or anyone else's • No Ledge account, no sign-up and no third party in between • Sign in with a key made in the Secure Enclave that never leaves the device, or with a password kept in the keychain • Each server's host key is confirmed on the first connection and checked on every one after • Lock sensitive notes with a passphrase • Add a server by scanning the QR code it prints WHAT YOU NEED A Mac or a Linux machine you can reach over SSH, with the Ledge server installed. One command installs it, with no root access, no open port and no background service. The guide in the app walks you through it. Ledge is free and open source.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is price: Ledge Notebook at Free against SwiftyTerminal's $0.99. Ledge Notebook also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On update cadence, ads 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
Ledge Notebook is free to download; SwiftyTerminal costs $0.99 up front. SwiftyTerminal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Ledge Notebook asks for nothing beyond the download.
Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on November 8, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | SwiftyTerminal | Ledge Notebook |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $0.99 | Free — better |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 2 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 26.0 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 6 MB | 16 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hemal Modi | Dan Stevens |
In-app purchases
SwiftyTerminal
- Pro Unlock$2.99
Ledge Notebook
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is SwiftyTerminal free?
Is Ledge Notebook free?
Do SwiftyTerminal or Ledge Notebook have ads?
Which is updated more often, SwiftyTerminal or Ledge Notebook?
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