Comparison

rootshell vs Redfish Console

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

rootshell

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
Read full description

rootshell is a desktop-class terminal emulator built on libghostty — the GPU-accelerated engine behind the Ghostty desktop terminal. A local shell on every platform, Mac screen sharing, native SSH, mosh-compatible roaming, tssh, system-wide VPN, native git, and Metal rendering in a single app. NEW: SCREEN SHARING Reach your Mac's screen, not just its shell, from your iPhone or iPad. High Performance mode streams up to 4K at 60 FPS, fully encrypted. Match Client sizing spins up a virtual display sized exactly to your device: no panning, no letterboxing, with remote system audio. Standard VNC mode covers Linux and headless machines, and tunnels over SSH jump hosts. Nothing to install on the Mac — turn on Screen Sharing and connect. Touch, trackpad, hardware keyboard, and two-way clipboard all work, in tabs, splits, or full screen. METAL-ACCELERATED TERMINAL Built on libghostty's Zig core with direct Metal rendering. Smooth scrolling, zero-flicker synchronized output, and full mouse capture for tmux, vim, and zellij. Tabs, split panes, and persistent scrollback across app restarts. THREE REMOTE PROTOCOLS, ONE APP • SSH — Native Swift SSH client with Ed25519, ECDSA, RSA, and post-quantum ML-KEM + ML-DSA. Jump hosts, port and agent forwarding, and Keychain password storage. • Rootshell Roam — Mosh-compatible sessions survive network changes and app restarts. Multipath TCP bonds WiFi and cellular. Predictive local echo keeps typing responsive. STUN-based NAT traversal punches through firewalls. • tssh with QUIC (TLS 1.3) and KCP transport for lower latency, full native scrollback, and session resumption. NATIVE TMUX INTEGRATION Attach in control mode (tmux -CC) and tmux windows become native tabs, panes become real splits — copy, search, and scroll with native gestures. A dashboard shows live window previews, and tabs survive restarts over tssh. SSH VPN Turn any SSH or tssh session into a system-wide VPN. Route all device traffic through your remote server. No extra software on the server — if you can SSH to it, you can VPN through it. NATIVE GIT Clone, commit, diff, log, blame, rebase, cherry-pick, and worktree — in native Swift with SSH transport. Syntax-highlighted pager output and optional AI-generated commit messages. VOICE AI AGENT Talk to an always-on assistant over Gemini Live. It reads scrollback, runs SSH commands hands-free, searches the web, and asks permission before anything risky. OPTIONAL TEXT AI Chat with Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, or 400+ models via OpenRouter. Bring your own API key. HARDWARE SECURITY KEYS Private keys never leave hardware. FIDO2/WebAuthn authentication with touch-to-sign. SANDBOXED LOCAL SHELL A full local shell with vim 9.1, Helix, SFTP, SCP, curl, jq, mtr, and standard Unix utilities. The rf browser offers yazi-style miller columns with image previews and git indicators. croc peer-to-peer file transfer, flag-aware tab completion, and prompt themes. CLOUD & KUBERNETES Connect to AWS, Azure, DigitalOcean, Akamai (Linode), and Tailscale. Browse instances, access serial consoles, generate EKS kubeconfigs, and debug Kubernetes nodes with ephemeral pods. 450+ THEMES & VISUAL EFFECTS Over 450 color themes with location-based day/night switching. Animated backgrounds — solar, ocean waves, starfields, fireflies — plus Shadertoy-compatible shaders and custom fonts. CUSTOMIZABLE TOOLBAR Drag, reorder, and hide 45+ built-in keys. Create custom keys that send text, key combos, or sequences. Sticky modifiers with tap and double-tap lock. Separate iPhone and iPad layouts. CONNECTION MANAGEMENT Save profiles with folders, tags, and iCloud sync. Quick Connect autocompletes from history and cloud instances. Background SSH tunnels with auto-start. Siri Shortcuts integration. KEYBOARD POWER FEATURES QMK-style mod-tap keys, dictation and CJK input, customizable shortcuts, and Option key as Alt for international layouts.

About

Redfish Console

Features
Read full description

Check your server beneath the operating system. Redfish Console connects your iPhone directly to a Redfish management controller (BMC) over HTTPS on your local network or user-managed VPN. SEE REPORTED STATUS Review host power, system health, and available hardware information, including processors, memory, storage, network interfaces, and sensor readings. EXPLORE YOUR BMC Browse supported Redfish resources and services advertised by your server. Follow event logs, inspect full warning messages and resolution guidance, and use filters when your BMC supports them. REVIEW BEFORE ACTING See the target and expected effect before confirming an available power or locator-light command. Actions depend on the capabilities your server advertises and the permissions of your BMC account. DIRECT ACCESS No Redfish Console account or hosted relay is required. Save one BMC connection on your iPhone, protect saved-login access with optional Face ID or device authentication, and remove local app data in Settings. Optional app diagnostics are enabled by default and can be turned off in Settings. REDFISH CONSOLE PRO Setup, Settings, local deletion, and purchase restoration are available without Pro. Access to system information, hardware, logs, and supported commands requires a monthly or annual subscription, or a lifetime purchase. Subscription trials, when offered, are subject to Apple eligibility. Prices and available plans are shown in the app. REQUIREMENTS You need an HTTPS-accessible Redfish BMC, a certificate trusted by iOS, and valid server credentials. Available data and actions vary by hardware, firmware, and account permissions. Redfish Console does not provide IPMI access or an interactive remote KVM console. Redfish Console is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by DMTF or hardware vendors. Privacy Policy: https://redfish-console.khalidwar.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

rootshell4 screens
Redfish Console4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: rootshell at none against Redfish Console's 3. rootshell also leads on chart position (#151 vs unranked). Redfish Console's advantage is update cadence (every 5 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (16.4 vs 18.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Redfish Console sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. rootshell asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

rootshell ships an update fortnightly, Redfish Console every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 30, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
rootshell versus Redfish Console: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterrootshellRedfish Console
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (53 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews91.3% of reviews—
Number of ratings53 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 5 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#151 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.016.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size376 MB55 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRootshell LLCKW Software LLC

In-app purchases

None

rootshell

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

Redfish Console

Subscriptions2
  • Redfish Console Pro Monthly3 Days trial$1.991 Month
  • Redfish Console Pro Annual3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Redfish Console Pro Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is rootshell free?
rootshell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Redfish Console free?
Redfish Console is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do rootshell or Redfish Console have ads?
Neither rootshell nor Redfish Console shows ads.
Which is updated more often, rootshell or Redfish Console?
rootshell ships an update fortnightly, and Redfish Console every 5 days. Most recently, rootshell was updated on October 30, 2026 and Redfish Console on October 29, 2026.

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