# rootshell vs MonkeySSH

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against MonkeySSH's 2. rootshell also leads on ratings volume (47 vs 1) and chart position (#166 vs unranked). MonkeySSH's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs fortnightly) and rating (5.0 vs 4.8). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. MonkeySSH sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

MonkeySSH holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: rootshell has 47 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, MonkeySSH every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | MonkeySSH |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews) | **[5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monkeyssh/id6758901191/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **47** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#166** | — |
| Size | 379 MB | 56 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **15.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [Depollsoft](https://appshunter.io/developer/539417301) |

## What reviewers say

### rootshell

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

**Currently charting:** #166 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


### MonkeySSH

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/monkeyssh/id6758901191)

This app provides a mobile SSH workspace for agentic coding, allowing users to connect to servers, manage remote windows, and resume coding sessions. It features a robust terminal, file browsing, port forwarding, and secure SSH key management for modern remote development.

**Highlights:** Mobile terminal with advanced features, MonkeyMux and tmux remote window management, Agent workflows for coding assistants, SFTP workspace for file management, SSH key management, Port forwarding with in-app browser, Local-first security with biometrics

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| MonkeySSH Pro (Monthly) | $4.99 | per month |
| MonkeySSH Pro (Annual) | $49.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is MonkeySSH free?

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

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

MonkeySSH is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while MonkeySSH averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.

### Do rootshell or MonkeySSH have ads?

Neither rootshell nor MonkeySSH shows ads.

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

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and MonkeySSH every 2 days. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 21, 2026 and MonkeySSH on October 10, 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.*