# rootshell vs meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale's 2. rootshell also leads on rating (4.8 vs 4.5) and ratings volume (45 vs 2). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

rootshell holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: rootshell has 45 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 95% of rootshell's written reviews are positive against 100% of meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on October 12, 2026 and October 8, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews)** | [4.5 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshterm-ssh-client-tailscale/id6761196011/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **45** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Every 9 days** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#209** | — |
| Size | 364 MB | 59 MB |
| Requires iOS | **18.0** | 26.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [AG Applications Ltd](https://appshunter.io/developer/1888218641) |

## What reviewers say

### rootshell

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

**Currently charting:** #209 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


### meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/meshterm-ssh-client-tailscale/id6761196011)

A private SSH and SFTP client designed for engineers, featuring built-in Tailscale integration for secure connections. It offers persistent terminal sessions that sync across devices and a custom keyboard optimized for command-line use.

**Highlights:** Built-in Tailscale stack, Persistent terminal sessions, Customizable command-line keyboard, Predictive command suggestions, SSH and SFTP support, Multi-client named sessions, Privacy-focused design

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

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pro Monthly | $1.99 | per month |
| Pro Annual | $12.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale free?

meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, rootshell or meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale?

rootshell is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.8 out of 5 from 45 ratings, while meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale averages 4.5 from 2 ratings.

### Do rootshell or meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale have ads?

Neither rootshell nor meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, rootshell or meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale?

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale every 9 days. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 12, 2026 and meshTerm SSH Client Tailscale on October 8, 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.*