# rootshell vs exe.dev

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against exe.dev's 3. rootshell also leads on ratings volume (45 vs 6) and iOS requirement (18.0 vs 26.2). exe.dev's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and chart position (#81 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. exe.dev sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $24.99 per month. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

exe.dev holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.8. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: rootshell has 45 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, exe.dev every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | exe.dev |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews) | **[5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exedev/id6759881448/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | — | **#81** |
| Size | 364 MB | 124 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.2 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [ssh exe.dev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1881446149) |

## 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


### exe.dev

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/exedev/id6759881448)

**Currently charting:** #81 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Manage your virtual machines and coding agent from your phone. Transform ideas into production-ready code remotely. Offers auto-renewable monthly subscriptions for various plans.

**Highlights:** Virtual machine management, Coding agent integration, Remote development, Idea to production workflow, Monthly subscription plans

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Individual — Small | $24.99 | per month |
| Individual — Medium | $49.99 | per month |
| Individual - Large | $99.99 | per month |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is exe.dev free?

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

### Which has better reviews, rootshell or exe.dev?

exe.dev is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while exe.dev averages 5.0 from 6 ratings.

### Do rootshell or exe.dev have ads?

Neither rootshell nor exe.dev shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, rootshell or exe.dev?

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and exe.dev every 2 weeks. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 12, 2026 and exe.dev on October 5, 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.*