Comparison

MobileCLI vs shellin

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

shellin

Access and control your Mac terminal from your iPhone or iPad. Monitor AI coding agents, run commands, and stay connected to your workflow remotely via an encrypted peer-to-peer connection.

Highlights
  • View Mac terminal live on iPhone/iPad
  • Monitor AI coding agents remotely
  • Real-time interaction with keyboard input
  • Connect without SSH setup
  • End-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer session
Features
Read full description

shellin lets you view and interact with your Mac terminal from iPhone or iPad. Run the shellin CLI on your Mac, open the iOS app, and your terminal appears live over an encrypted peer-to-peer connection. Whether you are running Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Gemini CLI, or a long command in Terminal, shellin helps you stay connected when you step away from your desk. Check progress, approve actions, and send commands right from your phone or tablet. An active shellin subscription is required to connect to your Mac from the iOS app. Why shellin  • View your Mac terminal live from iPhone or iPad  • Monitor AI coding agents while you are away  • Interact in real time with keyboard input and terminal output  • Connect without SSH setup, port forwarding, or firewall changes  • End-to-end encrypted peer-to-peer session  How it works  1. Install the shellin app on iPhone or iPad  2. Choose and activate a shellin subscription in the app  3. Install the shellin CLI on your Mac  4. Sign in with a one-time key  5. Run shellin in the terminal you want to access  6. Open the app and connect to your live session  shellin is built for people who want lightweight remote access to an existing Mac terminal session, especially when monitoring AI-assisted workflows on the go. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula Privacy Policy: https://shellin.dev/privacy

Screenshots

MobileCLI4 screens
shellin4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: MobileCLI at free with in-app purchases against shellin's subscription. MobileCLI also leads on chart position (#62 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.6). shellin's advantage is update cadence (every 10 days vs monthly). 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 shellin sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per 7 days. 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 shellin. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MobileCLI ships an update monthly, shellin every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on September 10, 2026 and September 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
MobileCLI versus shellin: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobileCLIshellin
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Number of ratings11
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 10 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#62 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander KniggeJoonhyung Cho

Customer experience

MobileCLI

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

shellin

All ratings1 ratings
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

shellin

Subscriptions2
  • Shellin Lite7 Days trial$0.997 Days
  • Shellin Pro$8.991 Month

Questions

Is MobileCLI free?
MobileCLI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is shellin free?
shellin is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MobileCLI or shellin?
MobileCLI and shellin are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do MobileCLI or shellin have ads?
Neither MobileCLI nor shellin shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MobileCLI or shellin?
MobileCLI ships an update monthly, and shellin every 10 days. Most recently, MobileCLI was updated on September 10, 2026 and shellin on September 21, 2026.

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