Comparison

Exec Terminal vs Kex

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

Head to head
About

Exec Terminal

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Exec Terminal is a terminal workspace for iPhone and iPad, built for developers, operators, and anyone who needs secure command-line access on the go. TERMINAL FEATURES โ€” FREE โ€ข Connect to your servers with SSH or Mosh โ€ข Run a local shell on your device โ€ข Save connections and command snippets โ€ข Restore terminal sessions and work across multiple servers โ€ข Protect access with Face ID or Touch ID โ€ข Keep SSH credentials in the iOS Keychain Terminal features remain free and do not require an account or subscription. AI THAT FITS YOUR WORKFLOW Use local AI with supported Apple Intelligence devices, an on-device model, or your own Ollama endpoint. Local AI options do not use Exec Cloud and do not require an Exec Terminal Pro subscription. For cloud assistance, choose Exec Cloud: โ€ข Sign in with Apple without sharing your name or email with Exec Terminal โ€ข Start with a limited free allowance โ€ข Ask for concise command-line help โ€ข Optionally include a bounded, redacted portion of terminal context โ€ข Use Agent mode to work through multi-step terminal tasks with local tool execution and dangerous-command confirmation EXEC TERMINAL PRO Exec Terminal Pro is an auto-renewable monthly or annual subscription that raises the fair-use limits for Exec Cloud AI and Agent features. Current prices and subscription periods are shown in the App before purchase. Pro is optional; SSH, Mosh, the local terminal, and local AI remain available without it. Payment is charged to your Apple ID at confirmation. Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can restore purchases or open Manage Subscription from the App. PRIVACY BY DESIGN Terminal context sharing is off by default. Exec Cloud prompts and responses are processed in real time and are not stored in the gateway database. The App does not use advertising or cross-app tracking. Privacy Policy: https://execterminal.com/privacy/ Terms of Use: https://execterminal.com/terms/ Support: https://execterminal.com/support/

About

Kex

This app provides a full xterm-256color terminal emulator for iOS, allowing users to connect to servers via SSH, Mosh, and Telnet. It includes SFTP file management, multiple session support, and a specialized keyboard for efficient remote server access and administration.

Highlights
  • Full xterm-256color terminal emulation
  • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet protocol support
  • Built-in SFTP file manager
  • Multiple simultaneous terminal sessions
  • Purpose-built terminal keyboard accessory
  • Extensive customization options (themes, fonts, cursor)
  • Hardware keyboard support with shortcuts
Features
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A desktop-grade SSH terminal emulator built for iOS. Kex is not a simplified command runner โ€” it's a full xterm-256color terminal that runs vim, htop, nano, and everything you expect from a real terminal. Leave your laptop behind. Restart a crashed service from the beach. Check your CI pipeline at the airport. SSH into production from a cafรฉ. Monitor your AI coding agent from the couch. With Kex, your entire server infrastructure fits in your pocket. WHO IS KEX FOR? ยท DevOps engineers who need to respond to incidents anytime, anywhere ยท Developers running AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, or Aider on remote servers ยท System administrators managing fleets of Linux servers ยท Cloud engineers working with AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, and more ยท Homelab enthusiasts monitoring Raspberry Pi clusters and self-hosted services ยท Students learning Linux and server administration ยท Anyone who has ever thought "I wish I had a terminal right now" REAL TERMINAL EMULATION Full xterm-256color support with CSI, ESC, OSC, and SGR sequences. Alternate screen buffer for full-screen apps like vim, nano, top, and htop. 256-color and TrueColor rendering. SSH, MOSH & TELNET Connect to any server with SSH. Authenticate with password or SSH keys (Ed25519 and RSA). Mosh support keeps your session alive through Wi-Fi switches, cellular handoffs, and unstable hotel networks. Telnet for legacy systems and network equipment. All protocols, one app. BUILT-IN SFTP FILE MANAGER Browse, upload, download, and manage files on your remote servers. Create folders, rename, delete โ€” all from an intuitive file browser. Pull a log file, push a config change, or grab a backup. No need for a separate SFTP app. MULTIPLE SESSIONS Run multiple terminal sessions simultaneously. Switch between them with a tap or with keyboard shortcuts. Each session maintains its own independent state โ€” monitor production on one tab, debug staging on another. Manage all your servers from one place. TERMINAL KEYBOARD DONE RIGHT A purpose-built keyboard accessory bar with ESC, Ctrl, Alt, Tab, arrow keys, and F1โ€“F12. Auto-repeat on directional keys. Modifier key toggles. Every key a terminal user needs โ€” designed for real work, not bolted on as an afterthought. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING 10+ built-in terminal themes including Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Monokai, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, One Dark, GitHub Dark, and more. Choose your monospace font and size. Pick your cursor style โ€” block, underline, or beam with optional blink. Make it yours. iPAD POWER USER Full hardware keyboard support with Cmd+N, Cmd+W, Cmd+T, and Cmd+1โ€“9 shortcuts. Switch sessions, open new connections, and navigate โ€” all without touching the screen. Pair with a keyboard and your iPad becomes a proper workstation. SECURITY FIRST SSH keys and credentials stored in the iOS Keychain โ€” encrypted on your device, never in the cloud. Ed25519 and RSA key support. Host key verification with SHA-256 fingerprints. Organize keys into groups, see which connections use each key. All connections encrypted end-to-end. STAY CONNECTED Configurable keep-alive to prevent session drops. Detailed connection logs for troubleshooting. Save and organize your servers into groups with one-tap access. Host key memory so you connect with confidence every time. Kex is built for people who take their work seriously โ€” but don't want to carry a laptop everywhere. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Exec Terminal4 screens
Kex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Exec Terminal at none against Kex's shown. On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Exec Terminal sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per month and Kex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 7 level
Exec Terminal versus Kex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterExec TerminalKex
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyโ€”Every 2 days
AdsNo โ€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationโ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.617.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size24 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperIlia KhabadaevAli Mert TUFEKCI

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Exec Terminal

Subscriptions2
  • Exec Terminal Pro Monthly$9.991 Month
  • Exec Terminal Pro Annual$69.991 Year
3 purchases

Kex

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year

Questions

Is Exec Terminal free?
Exec Terminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kex free?
Kex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Exec Terminal or Kex have ads?
Kex shows ads; Exec Terminal does not.

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