Comparison

CheckWatch vs Thumbdesk

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

Head to head
About

CheckWatch

Features
Read full description

CheckWatch is the iOS companion for CheckMK that helps you stay on top of incidents without exposing your monitoring server to the public internet. Receive push notifications for host and service problems, scan a QR code to pair with your CheckMK setup, and review your monitoring state directly from your device. CheckWatch is built for admins, operators, and on-call engineers who need fast signal without unnecessary complexity. What you can do with CheckWatch: - Get real-time push notifications for CheckMK alerts - Keep your CheckMK server behind your firewall by using a secure relay - Pair a device quickly with QR-code setup - View hosts, services, and recent notification history in the app - Acknowledge problems and manage downtime from mobile - Configure quiet hours so alerts stay silent when you are off-call - Use it with CheckMK Raw, Enterprise, Cloud, and MSP editions How it works: 1. Install the CheckWatch plugin on your CheckMK server. 2. Purchase a subscription in the app to activate alert delivery. 3. Scan the pairing QR code from CheckMK. 4. Start receiving alerts on your device. Privacy comes first. CheckWatch does not use analytics or advertising SDKs, and it does not collect your CheckMK credentials. Only the minimum data needed for push delivery and subscription validation is processed. CheckWatch requires a CheckMK server that you manage and the CheckWatch plugin installed on that server. Terms of Use: https://checkwatch.nl/terms Privacy Policy: https://checkwatch.nl/privacy

About

Thumbdesk

Access and manage your servers and projects from your mobile device. This app offers a secure, mobile-first workspace with features like real terminals, file browsing, system monitoring, and a code editor-style environment for your projects.

Highlights
  • Real terminal sessions
  • ProjectSpace code editor
  • System monitoring (CPU, memory, disk)
  • File browsing and transfer
  • Encrypted peer-to-peer connections
  • Local web server previews
Features
Read full description

Reach every computer you own from your iPhone or iPad: terminals, the full screen, files, projects and live stats. Pair a machine by scanning a QR code, or connect to any SSH server with nothing to install. PocketShell is now Thumbdesk. Same app, same account, same hosts, with a new name. Install the lightweight Thumbdesk agent on a Mac, Windows or Linux machine, scan the QR code, and you're connected. No SSH keys to copy, no ports to forward, no VPN to set up. Connections go directly between your phone and your machine over encrypted peer-to-peer links whenever the network allows. Built for developers, on-call engineers, homelab users and self-hosters who need safe access to machines they own, from anywhere. SCREEN SHARING - See and control your Mac, Windows or Linux desktop - Trackpad-style gestures, pinch to zoom and direct touch - Soft keyboard with modifier keys and platform shortcuts - Pick a display and quality, and hear the computer's sound - Clipboard sync between phone and computer TERMINAL - Real terminal sessions with a mobile-friendly key bar - Sessions resume where you left off, even after switching networks - Snap a photo, crop it and drop it straight into the terminal - Works with tmux and long-running jobs SSH HOSTS, NOTHING TO INSTALL - Add any server you can reach over SSH: VPS, Raspberry Pi, NAS - Terminal, SFTP files, stats and projects without installing anything on the server - Host keys are verified before your credentials are sent FILES AND PROJECTS - Browse, preview, upload and download files - Transfers resume after a dropped connection and keep going in the background - Upload from any app with the share sheet - Open projects with a code editor, search, and Git status, diffs, staging and commits - Preview local dev servers in the built-in browser CODING AGENTS - Browse and resume Claude Code, Codex and Grok sessions running on your machines - See which agents are working with a Live Activity and widgets - Get notified when an agent finishes MONITORING - Live CPU, memory, disk, network and process stats for every host - Alerts for the disks and thresholds you care about - Stats history charts HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the Thumbdesk agent on your computer with one command, or add an SSH server 2. Scan the QR code to pair your phone 3. Open terminals, the screen, files, projects and stats from anywhere FREE - Up to 2 hosts - Terminals, files, projects, monitoring and dev previews - Screen sharing in 2-minute sessions - 2 alert rules and your latest 10 agent sessions THUMBDESK PRO - Up to 10 hosts - Unlimited screen sharing - Unlimited alert rules - Full agent session history - Stats history charts - Files over 5 MB - Direct host-to-host file transfers SECURITY Thumbdesk uses device-bound pairing, Ed25519 keys, biometric unlock and trusted-device approval. Terminal contents are never stored on our servers. Terminal I/O, files, screen video and stats flow directly between your phone and your machine whenever the network allows. Thumbdesk is for accessing machines you own or are authorized to operate. Privacy Policy: https://thumbdesk.com/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CheckWatch4 screens
Thumbdesk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Thumbdesk at 16.4 against CheckWatch's 26.4. On price, ads, 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. CheckWatch sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.49 per month and Thumbdesk sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 7 level
CheckWatch versus Thumbdesk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCheckWatchThumbdesk
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsโ€”0.0% of reviews
Update frequencyโ€”Monthly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationโ€”Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.416.4 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size3 MB105 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJaap-Jan GroenendijkYash Agarwal

In-app purchases

2 purchases

CheckWatch

Subscriptions2
  • Push Notifications Monthly$2.491 Month
  • Push Notifications Yearly$29.991 Year
3 purchases

Thumbdesk

Subscriptions2
  • PocketShell Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • PocketShell Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • PocketShell Pro Lifetime$99.99

Questions

Is CheckWatch free?
CheckWatch is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Thumbdesk free?
Thumbdesk is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do CheckWatch or Thumbdesk have ads?
Neither CheckWatch nor Thumbdesk shows ads.

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