Comparison

Retro File Manager vs ZenTerm

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

Head to head
About

Retro File Manager

Features
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Remember Norton Commander? The dual-panel file manager is back โ€” now on your iPhone and iPad. Try the full app free for 7 days. DUAL-PANEL NAVIGATION Two panels side by side, just like the classics. Browse your device and your cloud drives at the same time. The efficiency that power users have loved since the DOS era. DOCUMENT FORMATS Open PDF, EPUB, FB2, DjVu, Microsoft Office, images, and more. Dark mode for comfortable reading. Your reading position is saved automatically โ€” pick up right where you left off. CLOUD INTEGRATION Connect Google Drive and Yandex Disk. Browse cloud files in the same familiar dual-panel interface. FILE OPERATIONS Copy files between panels with F5, move with F6 โ€” just like the original. Select several files with a long-press and drag, then copy, move, or delete them as a batch. Share multiple files at once with F10. Create folders with F7. KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS Connect an external keyboard and use classic shortcuts. F1 for help, F3 to view, F5 to copy, F6 to move, F7 to create folder, F8 to delete, F10 to share. On iPad, use number keys 1โ€“0. PRIVACY FIRST No tracking. No ads. Your files stay private. TRY EVERYTHING FOR 7 DAYS Every feature is unlocked from the moment you install โ€” try it on your own files: โ€ข Dual-panel browsing of your photos and the folders you add from the Files app โ€ข Google Drive and Yandex Disk โ€ข Copy, move, share and batch operations (F5 / F6 / F10) โ€ข PDF, EPUB, FB2, DjVu and Office document viewer Start your free week today. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

ZenTerm

Features
Read full description

ZenTerm is a self-hosted terminal client for iPhone and iPad, designed to run AI coding agents on a server you own โ€” no cloud, no middleman, no account. It connects your device directly to your own machine (a Mac at home, a single-board computer, or a Linux VPS), letting you browse, edit, and run commands from anywhere. FEATURES โ€ข Full Terminal โ€” A real xterm.js-based shell with tmux multi-window tabs โ€ข Multiple Sessions โ€” Run several AI coding agents in parallel and switch between them โ€ข iPad Workspace โ€” Landscape support, sidebar navigation, and split panes for side-by-side work โ€ข Guided Setup โ€” Start the Gateway, pair by QR code, and configure remote access step by step โ€ข Rate Limit Tracking โ€” Monitor your AI agent usage at a glance from Settings โ€ข File Browser โ€” Browse, upload, and download files on your server โ€ข Dark & Light Themes โ€” A calm Zen Garden visual design HOW IT WORKS Run the open-source ZenTerm Gateway on a computer you own (any Mac, Linux machine, single-board computer, or VPS). Your iPhone or iPad communicates directly with the Gateway over WebSocket. Nothing routes through our servers โ€” your data stays with you. WHO IT'S FOR โ€ข Check on your server from anywhere โ€ข Operate AI coding agents from your iPhone or iPad โ€ข Prefer a self-hosted, open-source solution over a SaaS terminal PRIVACY No account required. No ads. No analytics. No tracking. All data stays on your device and on your server. Gateway source code on GitHub: https://github.com/phni3j9a/zenterm

Screenshots

Retro File Manager4 screens
ZenTerm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ZenTerm at none against Retro File Manager's 2. ZenTerm also leads on iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.5). On price, update cadence, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Retro File Manager sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. ZenTerm asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Retro File Manager ships an update every 2 weeks, ZenTerm every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
Retro File Manager versus ZenTerm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterRetro File ManagerZenTerm
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 9 days โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” better
Requires iOS18.515.1 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size27 MB50 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDmitrii ChuprovYuki Nakano

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Retro File Manager

Subscriptions2
  • Pro7 Days trial$4.991 Month
  • Pro7 Days trial$34.991 Year
None

ZenTerm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Retro File Manager free?
Retro File Manager is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ZenTerm free?
ZenTerm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Retro File Manager or ZenTerm have ads?
Neither Retro File Manager nor ZenTerm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Retro File Manager or ZenTerm?
Retro File Manager ships an update every 2 weeks, and ZenTerm every 9 days. Most recently, Retro File Manager was updated on November 9, 2026 and ZenTerm on November 5, 2026.

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