CMD vs Caret
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
CMD
This app transforms your mobile device into a professional network diagnostic terminal. It offers essential command-line tools for system administrators, network engineers, and developers to troubleshoot and manage networks on the go.
- Network diagnostic tools (PING, TRACEROUTE, IPCONFIG)
- SSH client for server management
- Port scanning and WHOIS lookups
- LAN device discovery
- Retro terminal interface
- Smart input with accessory bar
- Local diagnostics and privacy focus
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Turn your iPhone or iPad into a professional network diagnostic terminal. CMD: Command Prompt brings the power of the desktop command line to your mobile device, designed specifically for system administrators, network engineers, developers, and tech enthusiasts who need reliable toolsets on the go. PROFESSIONAL NETWORK TOOLS Forgot your laptop? No problem. Diagnosing network issues has never been easier with our suite of essential commands: PING: Check host reachability and latency in real-time. Supports continuous ping (-t) and custom payload sizes logic. TRACEROUTE (TRACERT): Visualize the path your packets take across the internet. Identify bottlenecks and routing loops instantly. IPCONFIG / MYIP: View detailed local network configuration (LAN IP, Subnet) and your public WAN IP address with one tap. PORT SCAN: Audit server security by scanning open TCP ports (80, 443, 22, etc.) on any target. WHOIS: Perform deep lookups on domain names and IP addresses to find registration and ownership data. DNS LOOKUP (NSLOOKUP): Resolve domain names to IP addresses quickly to verify DNS propagation. LAN SCAN: Discover all active devices on your local Wi-Fi network. TERMINAL EXPERIENCE Authentic UI: Retro-style green-on-black terminal interface for that true hacker feel. Smart Input: Accessory bar with Arrow Keys, CTRL+C interrupt, and Tab completion helpers. History: Scroll back through output just like a real console. SSH Explorer Transform your Linux server management with our powerful SSH tool. With full support for secure protocols, the ability to save multiple connection profiles, and direct access to server command history, you can connect to and manage your systems anytime, anywhere. Our intelligent terminal features interactive command support, providing a smooth and fast experience for executing both automated and manual commands, ensuring real-time monitoring of your infrastructure PRIVACY FOCUSED CMD runs all diagnostics locally on your device or via standard internet protocols. We do not track your commands, log your targets, or store your history. Your data is yours. DESIGNED FOR iOS Fast: Built with native Swift for maximum performance. Offline First: Many tools work simply with your local connection. Modern: Supports Light/Dark mode (though Dark Mode is recommended for the true terminal vibe!). Whether you are fixing the office Wi-Fi, debugging a server, or just curious about your network connection, CMD is the only tool you need. Download CMD: Command Prompt today and take control of your network.
Caret
A native server console for developers and sysadmins to connect to Linux boxes via SSH. Manage AI coding agents, monitor server performance, and interact with Docker containers. Features include a full terminal, SFTP file manager, and an optional AI assistant.
- Full SSH terminal with VT/xterm engine
- Live server monitoring dashboard (CPU, memory, disk)
- Docker container management and deployment
- SFTP file manager with text file editing
- AI coding agent management
- Snippets and quick command execution
- Secure credential management with Keychain/Keystore
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Caret is a fast, native server console for developers and sysadmins. Connect to any Linux box over SSH from your iPhone, iPad or Mac — no agent on the server, no cloud middleman, no account required. — HERD YOUR AI CODING AGENTS — Run Claude or Codex agents on your own servers and manage them all from one inbox, grouped by status — working, waiting on you, or done. Read an agent's latest output, reply, review its exact code changes as a git diff, then drop into its terminal. Agents keep running even when the app is closed. — FULL SSH TERMINAL — A real interactive terminal powered by a complete VT/xterm engine. Run vim, htop, tail, or any program. Multiple tabs per server, automatic reconnection, and a mobile shortcut bar for Ctrl, Esc, arrows and pipes. Attach to tmux or zellij, forward local and remote ports, and pick from 17 themes. — LIVE MONITORING DASHBOARD — Watch CPU, memory, swap, disk, network and load average update in real time, with smooth on-device history. The Status screen aggregates every server into one board; tap through for per-core breakdowns, top processes and host details. Pull real server-side history from the host's own sar/sysstat records — even for time while the app was closed. Metrics come from reading /proc over SSH — nothing to install. Linux and macOS hosts. — DOCKER, EVERYWHERE — List containers across all your hosts at once, with live CPU, memory and network usage. Start, stop, restart, inspect and follow logs in real time. Build reusable Pod templates — a graphical docker run, or a Compose stack — and deploy them to any set of servers in one tap. — SFTP FILE MANAGER — Browse the remote filesystem, upload and download with live progress, and create, rename, move, compress or delete files and folders. Preview and edit text files right on the server. On Mac, drag files between servers or straight to and from Finder. — SNIPPETS & QUICK RUN — Keep go-to commands one tap away, and fire one command across many servers at once — with saved history of every run. — ASK AI, BRING YOUR OWN KEY — An optional AI assistant, one tap from any screen, that already knows what you're looking at — your metrics, containers, files or terminal. Ask what a process does, why load is spiking, or how to fix an error. Bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini key; it stays in the Keychain and talks to the provider directly, with no Caret server in between. — KEYS, JUMP HOSTS & SECURITY — Passwords, keys and passphrases live in the system Keychain / Keystore, never in the app database. Manage SSH keys in-app, authenticate with passwords or keys, and reach private servers through a jump host (bastion), including multi-hop chains. Add an optional Face ID / Touch ID app lock. Turn on sync and your data — including credentials — travels only through your own private iCloud or Google Drive (end-to-end encrypted on Drive). — APPLE WATCH & WIDGETS — Keep an eye on your servers without opening the app. Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets show live CPU, memory and load; on Mac the same metrics sit in the menu bar. The Apple Watch app puts a read-only status board on your wrist — refreshed even while your iPhone is in your pocket. — BUILT FOR EVERY SCREEN — One native app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. On Mac it's a true desktop app — sidebar navigation, native density, multi-window and split-pane workspaces. Light and dark themes, and 14 languages. Caret is free, with server management, monitoring and Docker built in. A Premium upgrade unlocks the SSH terminal, SFTP editing, AI coding agents, the Ask AI assistant, server-side history, jump hosts, port forwarding and cloud sync — monthly, yearly or a one-time lifetime purchase. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://zobubo.com/docs/caret/Privacy-Policy/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: CMD at none against Caret's 3. CMD also leads on ratings volume (76 vs 6) and chart position (#123 vs unranked). Caret's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 3 days vs every 10 days). On price, rating, review sentiment 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
Both are free to download. Caret sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. CMD asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for CMD against 5.0 for Caret. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: CMD has 76 ratings behind it against 6, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 95% of CMD's written reviews are positive against 100% of Caret's.
CMD ships an update every 10 days, Caret every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 19, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CMD | Caret |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (76 ratings) | 5.0 (6 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 76 — better | 6 |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Ad-supported — better | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #123 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch — better |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 71 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sunandan Sekhar Das | 成杰 于 |
Customer experience
CMD
Caret
In-app purchases
CMD
No in-app purchases
Caret
- Premium (Monthly)$1.991 Month
- Premium (Yearly)$9.991 Year
- Premium (Lifetime)$14.99









