# rootshell vs Happier

The clearest difference is rating: rootshell at 4.8 against Happier's 4.4. rootshell also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and ratings volume (45 vs 10). Happier's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

rootshell holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 45 and 10 respectively. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of rootshell's written reviews are positive against 100% of Happier's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, Happier every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | Happier |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews)** | [4.4 (10 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happier-remote-claude-codex/id6758554297/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 10 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Best chart rank | #196 | **#145** |
| Size | 364 MB | 151 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [Leeroy Brun](https://appshunter.io/developer/1873509772) |

## What reviewers say

### rootshell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662)

**Currently charting:** #196 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a powerful, desktop-class terminal emulator with GPU acceleration and native support for SSH, Mosh, and tssh. It offers features like system-wide VPN over SSH, native Git integration, and AI assistance for hands-free command execution and web searches.

**Highlights:** GPU-accelerated terminal, Native SSH and Mosh support, System-wide VPN over SSH, Native Git client, AI voice and text agents, Cloud and Kubernetes integration, Hardware security key support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Happier

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/happier-remote-claude-codex/id6758554297)

**Currently charting:** #145 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app acts as a secure bridge for AI coding agents, allowing you to run and continue sessions from your computer on your phone. It supports collaboration, reliable session resuming, and full history access with end-to-end encryption.

**Highlights:** Collaborative coding sessions, Support for multiple AI providers, Persistent and resumable sessions, Seamless switching between devices, End-to-end encryption, Infinite message history

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

rootshell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Happier free?

Happier is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, rootshell or Happier?

rootshell is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while Happier averages 4.4 from 10 ratings.

### Do rootshell or Happier have ads?

Neither rootshell nor Happier shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, rootshell or Happier?

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and Happier every 5 weeks. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 12, 2026 and Happier on October 7, 2026.

### Which is more popular, rootshell or Happier?

rootshell currently peaks at #196 in the App Store charts, and Happier at #145. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*