Comparison

Bastion SSH vs NexusSSH

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

Head to head
About

Bastion SSH

This app provides a secure and flexible way to connect to remote servers through multiple jump hosts. It offers advanced features for managing connections, keys, and host verification, along with a multi-session terminal and SFTP file transfer capabilities.

Highlights
  • Multi-hop SSH connections
  • Secure key management
  • Host key verification
  • Multi-session terminal
  • SFTP file transfer
  • Password management
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

NexusSSH

Features
Read full description

NexusSSH is a secure SSH client and server monitor for iPhone and iPad. It helps you manage personal and professional servers with saved hosts, password and key-based SSH login, jump host chains, SFTP file browsing, and real-time system monitoring. Key features: • Secure SSH terminal access • Saved host profiles • Password and private key authentication • Multi-hop jump host support • SFTP file browser with upload and download progress • Server monitor dashboard for CPU, memory, disk, GPU, and system status • Last-known operating system display for offline hosts • Credentials stored locally using iOS secure storage NexusSSH is designed for developers, system administrators, homelab users, and technical users who need a clean mobile SSH and server monitoring workflow.

Screenshots

Bastion SSH4 screens
NexusSSH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: NexusSSH at none against Bastion SSH's shown. Bastion SSH's advantage is update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). 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 monthly, NexusSSH every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and October 31, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Bastion SSH versus NexusSSH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBastion SSHNexusSSH
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationAd-supported—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB17 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYuan-Yi Chang亚根 张

In-app purchases

None

Bastion SSH

No in-app purchases

None

NexusSSH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Bastion SSH free?
Bastion SSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NexusSSH free?
NexusSSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Bastion SSH or NexusSSH have ads?
Bastion SSH shows ads; NexusSSH does not.
Which is updated more often, Bastion SSH or NexusSSH?
Bastion SSH ships an update monthly, and NexusSSH every 2 months. Most recently, Bastion SSH was updated on November 9, 2026 and NexusSSH on October 31, 2026.

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