Comparison

Gumpbox vs PocketShell

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

Head to head
About

Gumpbox

Manage your servers, workflows, and files from your iPhone or iPad. This app offers a comprehensive mobile experience for server administration, including file transfers, live stats, and emergency actions. It integrates seamlessly with Mac for a unified workspace.

Highlights
  • Server management
  • Workflow execution
  • File transfers (multi-file upload/download)
  • Remote file browsing
  • Live server stats
  • Emergency actions
  • Cross-platform sync (Mac, iPhone, iPad)
Features
Read full description

Gumpbox now comes to iPhone and iPad, bringing your server command center with you wherever you work. This release adds a complete mobile experience for managing servers, workflows, files, services, processes, users, disks, cron jobs, tunnels, audit logs, and more. iPad also gets a dedicated adaptive sidebar and split-view layout designed for larger screens. Mobile file transfers are now much more capable, with multi-file upload and download, remote browsing, folder creation, persistent transfer history, and direct support for iOS Files destinations. We also improved mobile performance across the app with faster workflow navigation, scoped activity loading, cached assets, smoother keyboard handling, and more stable server detail layouts while live data loads. Server detail pages now include live stats, emergency actions, and better mobile-friendly controls. Navigation, notifications, empty states, and device-authentication fallback behavior have also been cleaned up across iPhone and iPad. This is a major cross-platform release for Gumpbox: Mac, iPhone, and iPad now work together as one server management workspace.

About

PocketShell

Read full description

Manage your servers and projects from your iPhone or iPad. No SSH keys to copy, no ports to forward, no VPN to configure. PocketShell replaces traditional SSH workflows with a secure, mobile-first workspace. Install the lightweight host agent, scan a QR code, and connect to your own machines through encrypted peer-to-peer connections whenever the network allows. Open real terminals, browse files, monitor system stats, transfer files, and now work inside ProjectSpace: a code editor-style mobile workspace for your projects. ProjectSpace brings files, terminal sessions, Git changes, agent chats, and local web previews together so you can inspect, fix, and ship from your phone. Built for developers, on-call engineers, homelab users, and self-hosters who need safe access to machines they own from anywhere. PROJECTSPACE - Browse project folders on your host - Open and edit code with syntax highlighting - Search files and project contents - View Git status and diffs - Stage changes, switch branches, and commit - Open terminals scoped to the project - Preview local dev servers in the built-in Dev Browser HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the PocketShell agent on your host with one command 2. Scan the QR code to pair your phone 3. Open terminals, files, projects, Git, stats, and web previews from your phone FREE FOR UP TO 2 HOSTS - Real terminal sessions with a mobile-friendly keyboard - ProjectSpace for mobile project workflows - Built-in Dev Browser for local web previews - Live monitoring: CPU, memory, disk, network, processes - Browse, preview, upload, and download files - Resume sessions across devices - Direct peer-to-peer connections when your network allows POCKETSHELL PRO - Up to 10 hosts - More ProjectSpace capacity - Direct host-to-host file transfers - Higher file transfer limits - 30 days of historical stats - Multi-device support - Priority alerts and notifications WHY NOT SSH? Traditional SSH apps require you to copy private keys to your phone, expose ports through your router, or set up VPNs to reach machines behind NAT. PocketShell uses encrypted peer-to-peer connections through a lightweight host agent. Pair once, access securely, and avoid key management on mobile. SECURITY PocketShell uses device-bound host pairing, trusted-device approval, biometric unlock, Ed25519 cryptography, and session auditing. Terminal contents are never stored on our servers. Terminal I/O, files, stats, and project data flow directly between your phone and your host whenever the network allows. PocketShell is for accessing machines you own or are authorized to operate. Privacy Policy: https://pocketshell.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Gumpbox4 screens
PocketShell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Gumpbox at every 2 days against PocketShell's every 3 weeks. PocketShell's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.0). 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. Gumpbox sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and PocketShell sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Gumpbox ships an update every 2 days, PocketShell every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 11, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
Gumpbox versus PocketShell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGumpboxPocketShell
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationPaid—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size30 MB88 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTran Dinh KhangYash Agarwal

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Gumpbox

One-time1
  • Gumpbox PRO$19.99
3 purchases

PocketShell

Subscriptions2
  • PocketShell Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • PocketShell Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • PocketShell Pro Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is Gumpbox free?
Gumpbox is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is PocketShell free?
PocketShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Gumpbox or PocketShell have ads?
Neither Gumpbox nor PocketShell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Gumpbox or PocketShell?
Gumpbox ships an update every 2 days, and PocketShell every 3 weeks. Most recently, Gumpbox was updated on October 11, 2026 and PocketShell on October 1, 2026.

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