Server Connect vs GateShell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Server Connect
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Server Connect gives you full control over your servers — directly from your iPhone. Monitor system resources, manage containers, execute scripts and keep an eye on your infrastructure in real time. Whether you’re running a single server or managing multiple servers, Server Connect helps you stay productive wherever you are. Designed for developers, DevOps engineers and system administrators who want a fast, clean and reliable way to manage their servers on the go. Main Features: Real-time Monitoring: Track CPU, memory, disk and network usage at a glance. Server Overview: Manage multiple servers from one simple dashboard. Container Management: View, start and stop containers with ease. Script Execution: Run custom scripts directly on your server. Secure by Design: Built with security and reliability in mind. Clean & Modern UI: Optimized for iOS with a fast, intuitive interface. A paid subscription is required to use Server Connect. The subscription unlocks access to all app features. You can choose between different subscription models to unlock the full potential of Server Connect. Subscription Information: • Title: Server Connect Lifetime • Length: Lifetime • Price: € 17,99 • Title: Server Connect Monthly • Length: Monthly • Price: € 0,99 • Title: Server Connect Yearly • Length: Yearly • Price: € 9,99 Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account. Privacy Policy: https://vps-commander.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
GateShell
This app provides a secure and private SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client that runs entirely on-device. It offers advanced terminal features, server management dashboards, and file editing capabilities, all without relying on external servers or tracking user data.
- Zero-backend SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client
- On-device credential management
- Native Mosh with persistent sessions
- Server management dashboards (Docker, DBs, etc.)
- SFTP file transfer with background retry
- Built-in code editor with syntax highlighting
- AI coding agent integration
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GateShell is an SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client, and a full server command center. Your servers, your keys, your device, nothing in between. No backend, no relays, no tracking. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Zero backend. GateShell runs entirely on-device. There's no server to breach because there is no server. • Credentials live in the hardware-encrypted Apple Keychain, or on Secure Enclave keys that never leave your device, not even as an export. • No analytics, no telemetry. We don't know who you are or what you connect to. CONNECT, AND STAY CONNECTED • Native Mosh, with encrypted UDP and predictive local echo. Change networks, close the lid, come back hours later: your session is still there. • Jump hosts reach private servers through a bastion, with per-hop auth and host-key checks. • Import your ~/.ssh/config, or bulk-import servers from CSV. • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet, with automatic SSH fallback when UDP is blocked. SECURE CONNECTIONS • Verified host keys, pinned per server, with a warning the instant one changes. • Generate ed25519, P-256, RSA, or Secure Enclave hardware-backed keys, or import a PuTTY .ppk, including Argon2-encrypted ones. • Security Assistant scans for missing updates, exposed listeners, weak SSH policy, firewall gaps, and expiring certificates. Every finding shows its evidence, and guided fixes run allow-listed commands only after you approve them. • Face ID / Touch ID lock keeps your servers safe even if your device isn't. A REAL TERMINAL • Full XTerm-256 color terminal with fullscreen, scrollback search, and a customizable toolbar. • Two- and four-pane terminals with optional input broadcast. • 32 themes, bundled Nerd Fonts, custom font import, and named keyboard layouts. • Command snippets with ${VAR} prompts, run across many hosts at once. MANAGE THE WHOLE SERVER • 20+ built-in dashboards: Docker, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, Firewall, Cron, PM2, WireGuard, Fail2Ban and more. Each one shows the status and acts on it. • Fleet broadcasts one command to every server at once. • Live health monitoring with restart, logs, and failure alerts. • Install the optional open-source agent on your own server for metric history and push alerts when a service drops, a disk fills, or a cron job fails. It runs on your box, not ours. FILES & CODE • Upload and download over SFTP with progress tracking and background retry. • Show your servers in the Files app, and open remote files like local ones. • Built-in editor with syntax highlighting and find/replace for 13+ languages. • Git on the go: status, stage, commit, and review diffs. • App Preview opens your dev server right in the app, tunneled over your existing SSH connection. BRING YOUR OWN CODING AGENT • Start, resume, and interrupt Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI in any project on your server, straight from the terminal. • It runs under your account, with your CLI. GateShell never proxies it and never sees your provider keys. AI THAT STAYS ON THE DEVICE • Describe what you want in plain English, and GateShell composes the command on-device via Apple Intelligence. • Long output gets an instant, structured summary with error and warning counts. • A multi-step agent proposes a plan and runs it, with your approval on every step. • Automatic secret redaction and a risk warning before dangerous commands run. AT A GLANCE • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick connect, server health, and your last session, plus a Live Activity that tracks the connection you're on. SYNC EVERYWHERE • iCloud syncs your servers, snippets, and known hosts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, end-to-end encrypted. Free to start. Pro unlocks unlimited servers, SFTP, Mosh, port forwarding, the full dashboard suite, and more. On-device AI features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Terms of Use: https://gateshell.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://gateshell.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is device support: GateShell at 3 against Server Connect's 1. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Server Connect sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month and GateShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
Server Connect ships an update every 2 months, GateShell every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and October 25, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Server Connect | GateShell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | — | 100.0% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 5 weeks — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | — | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad, Mac — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 21 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Tobias Krenn | HEFTY INNOVATIONS |
In-app purchases
Server Connect
- Server Connect Pro – Monthly$0.991 Month
- Server Connect Pro – Yearly$8.991 Year
- Server Connect Pro –Lifetime Access$14.99
GateShell
- GateShell Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
- GateShell Pro Yearly$9.991 Year









