# rootshell vs SimpleSSM

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against SimpleSSM's 4. rootshell also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 6 weeks) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. SimpleSSM sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, SimpleSSM every 6 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | SimpleSSM |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **45** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 6 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 364 MB | 37 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [Colemaco LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1573111918) |

## What reviewers say

### rootshell

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

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


### SimpleSSM

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/simplessm-terminal-for-ec2/id6758782402)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (4)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Mobile Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Pro Mobile Yearly | $24.99 | per year |
| Yearly | $39.99 | per year |
| Lifetime | $149.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is SimpleSSM free?

SimpleSSM is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Do rootshell or SimpleSSM have ads?

Neither rootshell nor SimpleSSM shows ads.

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

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and SimpleSSM every 6 weeks. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 17, 2026 and SimpleSSM on October 14, 2026.

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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.*