# rootshell vs Astra Shell

rootshell and Astra Shell are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, Astra Shell every 4 weeks. Both last shipped on October 12, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | rootshell | Astra Shell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.8 (45 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/rootshell-local-terminal-ssh/id6755794662/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **45** | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.7% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Fortnightly** | Every 4 weeks |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Size | 364 MB | 19 MB |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | **17.0** |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Rootshell LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1829197011) | [玥 熊](https://appshunter.io/developer/6780204409) |

## 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


### Astra Shell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/astra-shell/id6807410920)

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

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is rootshell free?

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

### Is Astra Shell free?

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

### Do rootshell or Astra Shell have ads?

Neither rootshell nor Astra Shell shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, rootshell or Astra Shell?

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and Astra Shell every 4 weeks. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 12, 2026 and Astra Shell on October 12, 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.*