Comparison

MobileCLI vs QuickTUI

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

QuickTUI

Control your self-hosted AI agents from any device. Seamlessly attach to live terminal sessions, manage tasks, and interact with your agents remotely without interruption. Offers extensive customization for terminal keys and themes.

Highlights
  • Remote AI agent control
  • Live terminal session attachment
  • Customizable toolbar and shortcuts
  • Built-in file browser
  • Multiple terminal themes
  • QR code server setup
Features
Read full description

Your AI coding agents, within reach of any screen. QuickTUI is the iPhone and iPad app for your own computer or server. Kick off Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, or any long-running terminal job — then walk away. Your session stays live on your machine, and your phone tells you the moment an agent needs you. Free for one server, with a direct connection by default — your code never touches our servers. KNOW WHEN AN AGENT NEEDS YOU — NEW Get notified as soon as an agent asks for approval or has a question. Choose which notifications you get and what they show. CHAT WITH YOUR AGENTS — NEW A full chat mode with Markdown rendering. Approve actions and answer questions without opening the terminal, and filter sessions by status. LAUNCH ANY AGENT IN ONE TAP The Agent Wizard starts Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, Grok, Gemini, Cursor, Kimi, Qoder, or Pi in the folder you pick, with saved model and effort presets. EVERY SESSION AT A GLANCE One tree of workspaces, windows, and panes, with each agent's live status: working, idle, blocked, or done. Works with tmux or Herdr on Mac and Linux, and with Herdr on Windows. REACH IN FROM ANYWHERE Your agent hit a confirm prompt while you're on the subway. Attach, approve, detach — 10 seconds. No public IP or port forwarding? Connect through QuickTUI Cloud, with a free monthly data allowance for every account. BUILT FOR THE TERMINAL Up to three shortcut bars, a movable D-pad, and a command palette with ready-made commands for popular agents, git, and tmux. Attach images, search your clipboard history, pinch to zoom, and select and copy with ease. VoiceOver can read the terminal. FILES, PORTS, AND PREVIEWS Browse, preview, and transfer files. Forward a listening port in a tap and check your dev server in the built-in browser. Previews open in floating windows. The file browser stays off until you enable it; on macOS the server may then need Files & Folders or Full Disk Access. 50 TERMINAL THEMES Catppuccin, Tokyo Night, Gruvbox, Dracula, Nord, Rose Pine, and more, with separate light and dark themes that follow your system. SETUP IN MINUTES Connect over SSH and QuickTUI installs its server and pairs for you, with a password or an SSH key. Or install the server with one line from https://quicktui.ai, then scan the QR code or paste the pairing text. Direct SSH profiles work with no server at all. FREE TO USE, PRO FOR MORE Free for one server, with every feature included. QuickTUI Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks unlimited server profiles. QuickTUI Cloud is optional. Bought the app before it became free? You're already Pro — tap Restore Purchase. YOUR SERVER, YOUR DATA Each device pairs with its own key, stored in the iOS Keychain. Your code, keys, and API quotas stay on your machine. Direct connections need no account. No telemetry. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

MobileCLI4 screens
QuickTUI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: QuickTUI at free against MobileCLI's free with in-app purchases. QuickTUI also leads on update cadence (weekly 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 QuickTUI sells 10 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. 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 QuickTUI. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MobileCLI ships an update monthly, QuickTUI weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
MobileCLI versus QuickTUI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMobileCLIQuickTUI
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyMonthlyWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.4
Further details — not scored
Size31 MB73 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAlexander Knigge宇雷 廖

Customer experience

MobileCLI

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

QuickTUI

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews8 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
10 purchases

QuickTUI

Subscriptions8
  • Cloud Basic China$0.991 Month
  • Cloud Plus China$2.991 Month
  • Cloud Basic$6.991 Month
Show 5 more
  • Cloud Basic China Annual$9.991 Year
  • Cloud Plus$14.991 Month
  • Cloud Plus China Annual$29.991 Year
  • Cloud Basic Annual$69.991 Year
  • Cloud Plus Annual$149.991 Year
One-time2
  • QuickTUI App Icon Pack$9.99
  • QuickTUI Pro Lifetime$39.99

Questions

Is MobileCLI free?
MobileCLI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is QuickTUI free?
QuickTUI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, MobileCLI or QuickTUI?
MobileCLI and QuickTUI are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do MobileCLI or QuickTUI have ads?
Neither MobileCLI nor QuickTUI shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MobileCLI or QuickTUI?
MobileCLI ships an update monthly, and QuickTUI weekly. Most recently, MobileCLI was updated on October 25, 2026 and QuickTUI on October 28, 2026.

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