Comparison

MobileCLI vs AgentShell

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

Head to head
About

MobileCLI

Access your desktop terminal sessions remotely from your phone. Connect securely without accounts or cloud services. Ideal for developers to manage AI coding assistants and run commands from anywhere.

Highlights
  • Remote terminal access
  • AI coding assistant integration
  • QR code pairing
  • Direct WebSocket connection
  • File browser and editor (Pro)
  • Spawn new terminal sessions
  • Push notifications for AI input
Features
Read full description

Your desktop terminal, in your pocket. MobileCLI connects to your development machine and gives you full access to your terminal sessions from your phone. Pair with a QR code, and you're in — no accounts, no cloud relay, no configuration files. Built for developers who use AI coding assistants. Watch Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini work in real time. Approve tool calls from the couch. Fix a stuck prompt from the grocery store. Your sessions keep running whether you're watching or not. REAL TERMINAL, NOT A TOY Full xterm.js terminal with keyboard toolbar — arrow keys for history navigation, escape, paste from clipboard, and file attachments. Everything you type goes straight to your PTY. Everything your PTY outputs streams back instantly over WebSocket. CONNECT YOUR WAY Scan a QR code on your local network, or connect over Tailscale from anywhere in the world. Link multiple machines and switch between them. All connections are direct — your data never touches a third-party server. FILE BROWSER & EDITOR (Pro) Browse your project files, edit code with syntax highlighting, view images and PDFs, search by filename or content. Create, rename, move, and delete files and folders. Upload photos and documents straight from your phone into your terminal session. SPAWN SESSIONS FROM YOUR PHONE Start new terminal sessions remotely — Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, or a plain shell. Pick a working directory, name your session, and go. NOTIFICATIONS WHEN IT MATTERS Get a push notification when your AI assistant needs input — tool approvals, plan confirmations, or clarifying questions. Tap to jump straight into the session. MULTIPLE THEMES Classic black terminal, Tokyo Night, or Light mode. Pick what feels right. FREE TO START Connect one device, open terminal sessions, type commands, and get notifications — all free. Upgrade to Pro to unlock the file browser, file editor, and attachment uploads. PRO SUBSCRIPTION MobileCLI Pro unlocks file browsing, editing, and attachment uploads. • $19.99/year with a 3-day free trial • $29.99 lifetime purchase (one-time) • Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase • Subscription automatically renews unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period • Your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period • Manage or cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions Privacy Policy: https://www.mobilecli.app/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.mobilecli.app/terms

About

AgentShell

This app provides developers with an SSH client to manage AI coding tools on remote servers. It offers push notifications for agent input, multiple session management, and secure key storage. Stay connected and in control of your development environment from your mobile device.

Highlights
  • AI agent support with push notifications
  • Lock screen and Dynamic Island session status
  • Up to 10 simultaneous sessions
  • 256-color terminal with extra keyboard row
  • Secure key storage in iOS Keychain
  • Unlimited saved connection profiles
Features
Read full description

AgentShell is an SSH client for developers who run AI coding tools like Claude Code and Gemini CLI on remote servers. The problem it solves You're running Claude on a dev server. It needs a yes/no answer. Your phone is in your pocket. Without notifications, you'd have no idea it's waiting. AgentShell watches your terminal for input prompts and notifies you. Works whether the app is open, backgrounded, or your phone is locked. AI agent support • Auto-launch Claude, Gemini, Cursor, Codex, or your own tools on connect • Detects when agents need confirmation or input • Push notifications show the actual question being asked • Banners when you're in another session • Per-connection working directories Lock Screen and Dynamic Island • Session status visible without unlocking • See "Working", "Waiting for input", or "Ready" at a glance • Tap to jump straight into the session Multiple sessions • Up to 10 sessions at once • Grid view with terminal previews • Sessions stay alive when you switch apps • Auto-reconnect on dropped connections • GNU Screen support Terminal • 256 colors, multiple themes • Extra keyboard row: Ctrl, Esc, Tab, arrows • Voice input • Copy/paste Security • Keys in iOS Keychain with hardware encryption • Face ID / Touch ID to access keys • Ed25519, RSA, ECDSA generation • Keys stay on device • Secure password storage Connections • Unlimited saved profiles • Quick connect to recent servers • AWS EC2 metadata support • Custom startup commands • Background connection keeper No web views Native iOS. SwiftUI. Pure Swift SSH. Launches fast, stays responsive. --- Subscription Information AgentShell Pro (Yearly) is available as an auto-renewable subscription at $9.99/year. Payment is charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. The subscription automatically renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage and cancel your subscription in your App Store account settings. AgentShell Pro (Lifetime) is available as a one-time purchase at $24.99. Privacy Policy: https://agentshell.dev/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ ---

Screenshots

MobileCLI4 screens
AgentShell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is chart position: MobileCLI at #197 against AgentShell's unranked. MobileCLI also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. MobileCLI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and AgentShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $9.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for MobileCLI against 5.0 for AgentShell. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
MobileCLI versus AgentShell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobileCLIAgentShell
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#197 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander KniggeVijay Budhram

Customer experience

MobileCLI

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

AgentShell

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MobileCLI

Subscriptions1
  • Files Premium (Yearly)3 Days trial$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Files Premium (Lifetime)$29.99
2 purchases

AgentShell

Subscriptions1
  • AgentShell Yearly$9.991 Year
One-time1
  • AgentShell Life$24.99

Questions

Is MobileCLI free?
MobileCLI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is AgentShell free?
AgentShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MobileCLI or AgentShell?
MobileCLI and AgentShell are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do MobileCLI or AgentShell have ads?
Neither MobileCLI nor AgentShell shows ads.

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