Comparison

Bastion SSH vs Ash

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

Head to head
About

Bastion SSH

Connect to remote servers through multiple jump hosts with this SSH and SFTP client. It securely manages keys and passwords, offers multi-session terminals, and allows file browsing and transfers.

Highlights
  • Multi-hop SSH connections
  • Secure key and password management
  • SFTP file browsing and transfers
  • Multi-session terminal
  • Host key verification
  • Public key installation
Features
Read full description

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 — not just the first one - Routes are named by where they go: "office-A → mac-mini". Past the first hop addresses stop being unique — a reverse tunnel puts every machine on its jump's localhost — 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 — "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 — 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 — your face, a fingerprint, or your passcode - One check covers a few minutes of use, then it locks itself again — 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 — 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 — multiple sessions, configurable shell, fonts, theme. Hold-and-drag cursor scrub, two-finger paste, pinch zoom. ⌘T / ⌘W / ⌘1-9 on iPad and Mac. SFTP — browse, upload, download, edit text files inline. Save with sudo when needed. Drag-and-drop from Files or Finder. Server Dashboard — live CPU, RAM, disk, latency. OS, kernel, uptime. Port Forwarding — local (-L) and remote (-R) tunnels, multiple per host. SSH Keys — 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 (every 5 weeks 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 · 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Bastion SSH ships an update every 5 weeks, Ash every 3 months. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Bastion SSH versus Ash: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBastion SSHAsh
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeks — betterEvery 3 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size41 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 every 5 weeks, and Ash every 3 months. Most recently, Bastion SSH was updated on October 5, 2026 and Ash on October 14, 2026.

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