# rootshell vs TermCOW

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against TermCOW's 1. rootshell also leads on ratings volume (47 vs 3) and chart position (#201 vs unranked). TermCOW's advantage is rating (5.0 vs 4.8) and iOS requirement (16.1 vs 18.0). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. TermCOW sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

TermCOW 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 3, so its average is the more settled of the two.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | TermCOW |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.8 (47 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews) | **[5.0 (3 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termcow-stable-ssh-terminal/id6760620027/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **47** | 3 |
| Positive reviews | 90.0% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | Fortnightly |
| Monetization | **Free** | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#201** | — |
| Size | 379 MB | 149 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.1** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [Fynetiq LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885363540) |

## What reviewers say

### rootshell

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

**Currently charting:** #201 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


### TermCOW

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/termcow-stable-ssh-terminal/id6760620027)

This app provides a stable SSH terminal experience for mobile devices, allowing users to connect to remote machines with features like pan and zoom for a desktop-class interface. It supports standard SSH protocols, SFTP, and secure credential storage.

**Highlights:** SSH with password and key authentication, SFTP file transfer, Encrypted credential vault, Pan and zoom for stable terminal view, Customizable multi-state shortcuts, Port forwarding, Jump host/bastion support

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| TermCOW Pro Upgrade | $9.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is TermCOW free?

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

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

TermCOW is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 47 ratings, while TermCOW averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.

### Do rootshell or TermCOW have ads?

Neither rootshell nor TermCOW shows ads.

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

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and TermCOW fortnightly. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 21, 2026 and TermCOW on October 1, 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.*