Comparison

MobileCLI vs Shinobi Term

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

Shinobi Term

Features
Read full description

The shortest path from iPhone to Claude Code. Shinobi Term is a free, open-source SSH terminal client for iOS. Connect to your Mac's tmux session with one tap and start working with Claude Code — from anywhere. Why Shinobi Term? - One-tap tmux attach: See your active tmux sessions and connect instantly - Built for Claude Code: Designed for developers who run Claude Code in tmux - CJK-first: Japanese, Chinese, and Korean characters render correctly - SSH key auth: Generate Ed25519 keys on-device, private keys stay in Keychain - Extended keyboard: Ctrl, Alt, Esc, Tab, arrow keys - Scroll mode: Browse tmux output history with swipe gestures - Free & open source: No ads, no tracking, no account required Recommended Setup iPhone + Tailscale + Shinobi Term → Mac's tmux → Claude Code Install Tailscale on both your Mac and iPhone for seamless SSH access from anywhere. Create a tmux session, start Claude Code, and attach from your iPhone with one tap. Privacy All credentials are stored in iOS Keychain. No data is sent to our servers. No analytics or tracking. Source code: https://github.com/ie3jp/shinobi-term

Screenshots

MobileCLI4 screens
Shinobi Term4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: MobileCLI at 15.1 against Shinobi Term's 17.0. On price, ads, 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. MobileCLI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per year and Shinobi Term sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
MobileCLI versus Shinobi Term: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobileCLIShinobi Term
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyMonthly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander KniggeYOU TANAKA

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MobileCLI

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

Shinobi Term

One-time1
  • Buy me a beer$4.99

Questions

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

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