Comparison

Bastion SSH vs Ash

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

Head to head
About

Bastion SSH

Features
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Bastion SSH is an SSH and SFTP client built for the way real infrastructure is laid out: not one server you can dial directly, but a bastion, then a machine behind it, then the box you actually wanted. Chains, not just connections: - Reach a host through any number of jump hosts, the way `ssh -J` does - Every hop is a real SSH session, so every machine in the chain is authenticated and its host key checked โ€” not just the first one - Routes are named by where they go: "office-A โ†’ mac-mini". Past the first hop addresses stop being unique โ€” a reverse tunnel puts every machine on its jump's localhost โ€” so the path is what tells two otherwise identical routes apart - Add a new jump host inline while you set one up, at any depth - When a chain fails it names the hop, the stage it got to, and the jump it came through, so you can tell a dead tunnel from a machine that is switched off Know what will happen before you connect: - Open a route and see it hop by hop, with what each step will use: a stored key, a stored password, or a prompt - It answers the question up front โ€” "1 of 3 hops will ask for credentials" - Install a public key onto any hop from the same screen Keys that stay on the device: - Generate a key on your phone: the private half goes straight into the system key store and never exists as a file, and only the public key ever leaves - Import the key you already own: OpenSSH format (what ssh-keygen writes by default) or PEM, encrypted or not, with no conversion step - "This device" lists every key with its type, fingerprint, which hosts use it, and whether it was generated here or imported - Use one key across several hosts, and delete a key only after being told how many hosts depend on it Host keys you can verify: - Fingerprints are the OpenSSH SHA256 form, exactly what `ssh-keygen -lf` prints, so you can compare them with the server instead of taking them on trust - A changed host key asks you, every time - Records are kept per route, so two machines that both answer on their bastion's localhost are never confused Multi-session terminal: - Session tabs that live independently โ€” switch, close or retry one without disturbing the rest - xterm-compatible terminal with selection, copy and paste, and resize - Quick keys for the commands and control sequences you keep reaching for - Per-host keep-alive, and reconnection that backs off instead of hammering the server Files: - Browse, download, upload, rename and delete over SFTP - Downloads keep running when you leave the screen, with progress and cancel - Save through the system file picker, or keep them in the app Credentials, on your terms: - A hop's password can be kept in the device key store, per host, and using it needs the device's own check โ€” your face, a fingerprint, or your passcode - One check covers a few minutes of use, then it locks itself again โ€” a found phone is not an open door - Each stored password says which protection it has - A stored password the server rejects is dropped and you are asked again, instead of failing the same way on every attempt - Review and revoke everything that is stored from one screen Yours, and only on your device: - Hosts, keys and known-host records stay on the device. No account, no sync, nothing to sign up for - Private keys live only in the system key store, never as plaintext files - Privacy policy and terms are available from within the app Great for: - Anyone whose servers sit behind a bastion or a reverse tunnel - Sysadmins and developers checking on machines away from a desk - Keeping several sessions open at once โ€” logs in one tab, work in another - Setting up key authentication from a phone, without moving a private key around Open the route. See the hops. Connect.

About

Ash

Features
Read full description

Native SSH client for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Open a shell, push files over SFTP, forward a port, monitor a server. Terminal โ€” multiple sessions, configurable shell, fonts, theme. Hold-and-drag cursor scrub, two-finger paste, pinch zoom. โŒ˜T / โŒ˜W / โŒ˜1-9 on iPad and Mac. SFTP โ€” browse, upload, download, edit text files inline. Save with sudo when needed. Drag-and-drop from Files or Finder. Server Dashboard โ€” live CPU, RAM, disk, latency. OS, kernel, uptime. Port Forwarding โ€” local (-L) and remote (-R) tunnels, multiple per host. SSH Keys โ€” generate Ed25519 or RSA on-device. Import from Files or clipboard. Stored in iOS Keychain. Face ID / Touch ID lock. Connections survive the lock screen. Keepalive defeats NAT timeouts. Auto-reconnect on Wi-Fi / cellular handoff. No telemetry. No analytics. No ads. Host configs sync only via your private iCloud, opt-in.

Screenshots

Bastion SSH4 screens
Ash4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Ash at none against Bastion SSH's shown. Bastion SSH's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 3 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bastion SSH ships an update monthly, Ash every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on September 3, 2026 and September 18, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 3 level
Bastion SSH versus Ash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBastion SSHAsh
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyMonthly โ€” betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better17.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size42 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuan-Yi ChangArtem Sharifullin

In-app purchases

None

Bastion SSH

No in-app purchases

None

Ash

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bastion SSH free?
Bastion SSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Ash free?
Ash is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bastion SSH or Ash have ads?
Bastion SSH shows ads; Ash does not.
Which is updated more often, Bastion SSH or Ash?
Bastion SSH ships an update monthly, and Ash every 3 months. Most recently, Bastion SSH was updated on September 3, 2026 and Ash on September 18, 2026.

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