# CMD vs Caret

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 (#103 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.

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 14, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | CMD | Caret |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (76 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmd-ssh-terminal-dos-ping/id6758272626/reviews) | [5.0 (6 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caret-ssh-server-manager/id6775111587/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **76** | 6 |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | Yes | **No** |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days | **Every 3 days** |
| Monetization | **Ad-supported** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#103** | — |
| Size | 17 MB | 71 MB |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Sunandan Sekhar Das](https://appshunter.io/developer/1864563323) | [成杰 于](https://appshunter.io/developer/1697576648) |

## What reviewers say

### CMD

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cmd-ssh-terminal-dos-ping/id6758272626)

**Currently charting:** #103 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### Caret

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caret-ssh-server-manager/id6775111587)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Premium (Monthly) | $1.99 | per month |
| Premium (Yearly) | $9.99 | per year |
| Premium (Lifetime) | $14.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is CMD free?

CMD is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Caret free?

Caret is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, CMD or Caret?

CMD and Caret are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 76 and 6 ratings respectively.

### Do CMD or Caret have ads?

CMD shows ads; Caret does not.

### Which is updated more often, CMD or Caret?

CMD ships an update every 10 days, and Caret every 3 days. Most recently, CMD was updated on October 14, 2026 and Caret on October 6, 2026.

---

*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*