# rootshell vs QuickTUI

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against QuickTUI's 10. rootshell also leads on ratings volume (53 vs 2). QuickTUI's advantage is update cadence (weekly vs fortnightly) and review sentiment (100% vs 91%). On price, rating, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. QuickTUI sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for rootshell against 5.0 for QuickTUI. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: rootshell has 53 ratings behind it against 2, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 91% of rootshell's written reviews are positive against 100% of QuickTUI's.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, QuickTUI weekly. Both last shipped on November 9, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | QuickTUI |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.9 (53 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quicktui-ai-agent-terminal/id6761338192/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **53** | 2 |
| Positive reviews | 91.3% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Fortnightly | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Size | 376 MB | 74 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **16.4** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [宇雷 廖](https://appshunter.io/developer/404732177) |

## 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


### QuickTUI

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/quicktui-ai-agent-terminal/id6761338192)

Control your AI coding agents and terminal sessions from any screen. Get notified when your agents need input, chat with them directly, and launch them with a single tap. Manage files, ports, and previews all within the app.

**Highlights:** AI agent notifications, Chat mode with Markdown, One-tap agent launching, Session status overview, Remote access from anywhere, Terminal customization, File browsing and transfer

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (10)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Cloud Basic China | $0.99 | per month |
| Cloud Plus China | $2.99 | per month |
| Cloud Basic | $6.99 | per month |
| Cloud Basic China Annual | $9.99 | per year |
| Cloud Plus | $14.99 | per month |
| Cloud Plus China Annual | $29.99 | per year |
| Cloud Basic Annual | $69.99 | per year |
| Cloud Plus Annual | $149.99 | per year |
| QuickTUI App Icon Pack | $9.99 | one-time |
| QuickTUI Pro Lifetime | $39.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is QuickTUI free?

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

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

QuickTUI is rated higher. rootshell averages 4.9 out of 5 from 53 ratings, while QuickTUI averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do rootshell or QuickTUI have ads?

Neither rootshell nor QuickTUI shows ads.

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

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and QuickTUI weekly. Most recently, rootshell was updated on November 9, 2026 and QuickTUI on November 9, 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.*