Comparison

RPI SSH Pro vs CicadaTAK

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

Head to head
About

RPI SSH Pro

Features
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RPI SSH PRO – fast SSH-based server management RPI SSH PRO is a modern, fast, and intuitive SSH client that lets you manage your servers easily from your mobile device. It supports Raspberry Pi, Linux, Debian, Synology (Linux-based) systems, and Windows servers with OpenSSH, providing quick access to system status, maintenance tasks, and command execution. System Overview (Dashboard) View the most important system information at a glance: • Uptime • CPU usage • Temperature • Disks and total storage • Mounted file systems • Number of connected drives Designed for fast diagnostics and everyday server monitoring. Command Gallery (Samples) A wide range of prebuilt command templates: • can be quickly added to your own Command Cards • perfect for maintenance, diagnostics, and administration tasks • works across Linux-based systems and Windows PowerShell environments Command Cards Manage your custom commands using cards: • add, edit, and search command cards • drag & drop reordering • Quick Run mode for one-tap execution • global cards or server-specific cards • reusable commands across multiple servers and platforms Widget Quick Launch Your most important command cards can be added as widgets: • run commands without opening the app • ideal for frequently used maintenance and monitoring tasks • instant access to your most important server actions Multi-server support • add and edit multiple servers • switch between servers quickly • secure connections using SSH host key verification • manage mixed environments (Linux + Windows) from one app Terminal Modes Choose the terminal experience that best fits your workflow: • Simple terminal for basic commands and quick actions • Full PTY terminal for interactive shell usage The Ping screen is also directly accessible from the terminal view, allowing you to: • quickly check network connectivity • test latency and host availability • perform targeted ping tests toward the selected server Ideal for troubleshooting and network diagnostics directly within the SSH workflow. Windows PTY Support • Full PTY SSH terminal for Windows servers • Supports PowerShell and interactive commands • Proper handling of interactive tools, prompts, and real shell behavior • Ideal for Windows Server administration over SSH Settings & Customization The application is fully customizable: • dark / light / colorful / system default themes • language selection • command card size adjustment (compact or large card layout) • SSH and PTY terminal logging • Ping feature settings and configuration • configurable SSH timeout settings • optimized for touch interaction and extended terminal usage Tools section in Settings • Ping – TCP/ICMP network test • LAN Scan – Discover devices on your local network • Port Scan – Scan common ports or custom ranges Full Version All features of the application are available with the Full version purchase. The purchase is one-time only, no subscription required, and helps support further development.

About

CicadaTAK

This app transforms your phone into a live tactical display for areas without cell service or internet. It connects to custom-built mesh radio nodes to create a self-healing network for real-time location sharing, encrypted chat, and push-to-talk voice communication.

Highlights
  • Live tactical display without cell service
  • Self-healing mesh network with custom radio nodes
  • Real-time teammate location and breadcrumb trails
  • Encrypted team chat and photo sharing
  • Push-to-talk voice communication
  • Offline map browsing and layer downloads
  • Node setup and management from the app
Features
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CicadaTAK turns your phone into a live tactical display for places with no cell service and no internet — backcountry, disaster response, large properties, search grids, event perimeters. It is the companion app for CicadaTAK mesh nodes: 900 MHz radio gateways you build yourself from a fully documented hardware recipe (parts list and instructions at cicadatak.com). Nodes form a self-healing mesh that reaches over a mile per hop and relays through every teammate, so coverage grows as the team spreads out. Your phone joins a node's WiFi and the radios do the rest. WORKS WITH ATAK AND iTAK • Nodes speak Cursor-on-Target in both directions — positions, chat and markers pass between this app and ATAK or iTAK devices on the same node • No TAK server, no data plan, no setup beyond joining the node's WiFi • Run this app, run ATAK, or run both side by side on one team LIVE TEAM MAP • Teammates update live with callsigns, colors and breadcrumb trails • A position that stops being current turns grey and shows its age instead of vanishing, so you always know how old the picture is • Offline maps — download aerial, topo and street layers onto the node and use them with zero internet • Drop markers, draw geofence zones, measure distance and bearing, save routes ENCRYPTED TEAM CHAT • End-to-end encrypted with your team passphrase — the key never leaves your team • Share photos from camera or gallery, carried over the radio, never through a server • Delivery receipts, canned quick replies, and roll call for fast accountability PUSH-TO-TALK VOICE • Live streaming PTT to the whole team — real voice traffic, not recorded clips • Tuned to stay intelligible on marginal links LONG-RANGE LoRa BRIDGE • Nodes fitted with LoRa hardware bridge to Meshtastic radios, carrying positions and text far beyond the main mesh • Three privacy modes, from open interoperability to fully dark RUN THE NETWORK FROM YOUR POCKET • Set up a new node from the app — no laptop, no terminal • Live topology graph of every radio link, colored by measured throughput • Node list with signal, battery and hardware status; one-tap ping for round-trip time • Trade speed for range across the whole team at once, with automatic revert if a node doesn't come back • Update node firmware over the air YOUR DATA STAYS YOURS • No accounts, no sign-up, no cloud, no analytics • Everything travels phone to your own radio to your teammates' phones • There is no server in the path, so there is nothing for us to see IMPORTANT • Full functionality requires CicadaTAK node hardware. Without a node the app runs in Standalone Mode: your own GPS on the map, offline map browsing, and every screen navigable — mesh chat, PTT and team positions activate when you connect to a node. • Nodes operate in the 902–928 MHz license-free ISM band on the United States channel plan, which is also licence-exempt in Canada,Mexico, and Australia. No radio license required. • Build your nodes at cicadatak.com — an open, fully documented hardware build on an open-source radio and mesh foundation.

Screenshots

RPI SSH Pro4 screens
CicadaTAK4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: RPI SSH Pro at Free against CicadaTAK's $2.99. CicadaTAK's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 2) and ads (none vs shown). On update cadence, device support and iOS requirement 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

RPI SSH Pro is free to download; CicadaTAK costs $2.99 up front. RPI SSH Pro sells 2 one-off in-app purchases. CicadaTAK asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 27, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
RPI SSH Pro versus CicadaTAK: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRPI SSH ProCicadaTAK
PriceFree — better$2.99
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Paid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS15.615.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size42 MB29 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperAlbert PartiMerbella Studios Inc.

In-app purchases

2 purchases

RPI SSH Pro

One-time2
  • Remove Ads$2.99
  • Full Unlock$3.99
None

CicadaTAK

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is RPI SSH Pro free?
RPI SSH Pro is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is CicadaTAK free?
CicadaTAK costs $2.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do RPI SSH Pro or CicadaTAK have ads?
RPI SSH Pro shows ads; CicadaTAK does not.
Which is updated more often, RPI SSH Pro or CicadaTAK?
RPI SSH Pro ships an update every 3 days, and CicadaTAK every 3 days. Most recently, RPI SSH Pro was updated on September 27, 2026 and CicadaTAK on October 15, 2026.

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