Comparison

Termiux vs Orca IDE

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

Head to head
About

Termiux

This app provides a full Linux terminal emulator on iOS, allowing native command-line operations without remote connections. It features a virtual keyboard, AI command generation, and customizable themes for system administration practice, script development, and more.

Highlights
  • Full terminal emulator with bash/zsh
  • Native command execution
  • Virtual keyboard with keybind support
  • AI command generator
  • Customizable themes and fonts
  • Local shell environment
Features
Read full description

Termiux – Linux Emulator & SSH, SFTP on iPHone A powerful and easy-to-use SSH, SFTP & terminal application designed for iPhone. Start working immediately with a built-in terminal experience, or securely connect to your own remote servers whenever needed. BUILT-IN TERMINAL Access a ready-to-use terminal directly from the app. Run command-line operations, navigate directories, test commands, work with scripts, and perform common terminal tasks without needing to connect to another device or server first. EXTENDED KEYBOARD Work faster with an extended keyboard designed specifically for command-line use. Quickly access commonly used keys such as: • Ctrl
 • Alt
 • Tab
 • Esc
 • Arrow keys
 • Function keys
 • Common terminal shortcuts The keyboard is optimized to make terminal interaction more comfortable on a touchscreen. TOUCH-FRIENDLY TERMINAL Interact with terminal sessions naturally using intuitive touch controls. Scroll through output, navigate sessions, select content, and work with commands through an interface designed for mobile devices. CUSTOMIZE YOUR TERMINAL Personalize your terminal to match your preferred working style. Choose from: • Multiple terminal themes
 • Different fonts • Adjustable font sizes
 • Custom backgrounds
 • Appearance preferences • Terminal display settings Create a workspace that feels comfortable for both quick commands and longer sessions. FAST & SECURE SSH CONNECTIONS Connect to your own remote servers through SSH quickly and securely. Create and manage server profiles for faster access while keeping connection information securely stored on your device. Important server and connection details are displayed clearly, making it easy to identify, manage, and reconnect to your hosts. SFTP FILE BROWSER Browse files and folders on your remote servers using the integrated SFTP file browser. You can: • Browse remote directories
 • View files
 • Navigate folders
 • Access server content • Manage files alongside terminal sessions Terminal access and remote file browsing are available together in one convenient application. CLEAR & INTUITIVE INTERFACE The interface is designed to provide powerful terminal functionality while remaining simple and easy to understand. Connection information, server details, terminal sessions, files, and important status information are presented clearly for quick access. BUILT FOR MOBILE WORKFLOWS Useful for: • Command-line operations • SSH server access
 • Server administration
 • Script development and testing
 • Git workflows
 • File system navigation
 • Remote file access through SFTP • Network diagnostics • Development and server management Whether you want to use the built-in terminal or securely access your own remote infrastructure, Terminal for iPhone provides a practical command-line workspace directly on your device. Terms of Use:
https://termux-studio.org/terms-of-use Privacy Policy:
https://termux-studio.org/privacy-policy

About

Orca IDE

This app mirrors your desktop terminal sessions, including AI agent interactions, directly to your iPhone. It provides full keyboard input and multi-terminal support for seamless remote coding management. All processing remains on your desktop, ensuring your data stays secure.

Highlights
  • Live desktop terminal mirror
  • AI agent session management
  • Full keyboard input
  • Multi-worktree, multi-terminal support
  • Phone-fit zoom and smart keyboard
  • Background command execution
  • End-to-end encrypted pairing
Features
Read full description

Orca Mobile is the companion app for Orca, the open-source agentic coding workspace for macOS, Linux, and Windows. Pair your iPhone to your desktop in seconds and pick up a terminal session from the couch, the kitchen, or across the office. WHAT IT DOES • Live mirror of your desktop terminal, including running AI agent sessions (Claude Code, Codex, custom CLIs). • Full keyboard input — type, tab-complete, Ctrl-C, scroll back, all from the phone. • Multi-worktree, multi-terminal: jump between projects with a tap. • Phone-fit zoom and a smart on-screen keyboard with quick Ctrl/Alt accessory keys and shortcuts. • Background long-running commands and get a notification when a TUI goes idle (e.g. when Claude finishes thinking). HOW IT WORKS Orca Mobile is a thin client. Nothing runs on your phone except the viewer. Your code, your shells, your AI agents — all of that stays on your desktop. The phone shows you what's happening and forwards your keystrokes back over an encrypted local-network connection. Pairing is end-to-end encrypted. Your desktop generates a one-time keypair and shows a QR code; you scan it from the app. After that, all traffic between phone and desktop is sealed with that pair's keys. PRIVACY • No analytics SDK, no crash reporter, no third-party SDKs of any kind in the iOS app. • Pairing tokens and your preference list live in the app's own sandbox. The app's traffic to your desktop is end-to-end encrypted on your local network only. • The Orca desktop app collects anonymized usage metrics per the policy at https://www.onorca.dev/privacy. The mobile app itself does not. • Open source: every line is auditable at https://github.com/stablyai/orca. REQUIREMENTS • An iPhone (iOS 16+) on the same Wi-Fi as your desktop. • The Orca desktop app, free, from https://www.onorca.dev/ or https://github.com/stablyai/orca/releases.

Screenshots

Termiux4 screens
Orca IDE4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Orca IDE at 84% against Termiux's 15%. Orca IDE also leads on in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ratings volume (38 vs 2). Termiux's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.7). On price, 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Termiux sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Orca IDE asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Termiux holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Orca IDE has 38 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 15% of Termiux's written reviews are positive against 84% of Orca IDE's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Termiux ships an update every 6 days, Orca IDE every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 2, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
Termiux versus Orca IDE: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTermiuxOrca IDE
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings) — better4.7 (38 ratings)
Positive reviews15.4% of reviews83.8% of reviews — better
Number of ratings238 — better
Update frequencyEvery 6 daysEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
Best chart rank#54#17 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.1
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB41 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTERMUX LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANYLovecast LLC

Customer experience

Termiux

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews13 reviews
Positive15.4%
Neutral7.7%
Negative76.9%

Orca IDE

All ratings38 ratings
Positive89.5%
Neutral7.9%
Negative2.6%
Written reviews37 reviews
Positive83.8%
Neutral10.8%
Negative5.4%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Termiux

Subscriptions2
  • Weekly3 Days trial$4.997 Days
  • Monthly$12.991 Month
None

Orca IDE

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Termiux free?
Termiux is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Orca IDE free?
Orca IDE is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Termiux or Orca IDE?
Termiux is rated higher. Termiux averages 5.0 out of 5 from 2 ratings, while Orca IDE averages 4.7 from 38 ratings.
Do Termiux or Orca IDE have ads?
Neither Termiux nor Orca IDE shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Termiux or Orca IDE?
Termiux ships an update every 6 days, and Orca IDE every 3 days. Most recently, Termiux was updated on October 2, 2026 and Orca IDE on October 15, 2026.
Which is more popular, Termiux or Orca IDE?
Termiux currently peaks at #54 in the App Store charts, and Orca IDE at #17. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons