CMD vs Helmrig Shell
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.
Helmrig Shell
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The terminal from your desk, now on iPhone and iPad. Helmrig Shell is a native terminal — btop, tmux, vim, true color, ligatures, full escape-sequence support, rendered natively. Not a web view, not a cut-down mobile shell. A real desktop terminal that feels like the one you already use. Your sessions run on your own Mac or server. The iPad or iPhone is just the window — so they never drop. Lock the screen, lose signal, switch to another app, come back hours later: every tab, every running process, your full scrollback, exactly where you left it. No reconnect dance, no lost output. Drop a file onto the terminal and it uploads to your machine, with the full path dropped straight into your command line. Hand a screenshot to a CLI tool, attach a file to a running command — it just works, as if the file were already there. Built on libghostty for the rendering you'd expect from a desktop terminal. Hardware keyboard shortcuts, split panes, tabs that name themselves after what's running. Designed for iPad first, not ported from somewhere else. Works anywhere over an end-to-end encrypted connection — at your desk, on the couch, or across the world. Not limited to your local network. Helmrig Shell requires a subscription to use. A free trial is available, after which continued access requires Helmrig Shell Pro at $8.99/month. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. WHAT IT IS A window into your own machine. Your shell, your tools, your environment — running where they always have, now reachable from your iPad. WHAT IT NEEDS A Mac or Linux machine you control, running the Helmrig server. Setup takes one command. PRIVACY No third-party SDKs. No analytics. No crash reporting. Helmrig Shell servers never see terminal output. Full policy at helmrig.app/shell-privacy.html CONTACT hi@helmrig.app Support Link: https://helmrig.app/support Privacy Policy: https://helmrig.app/shell-privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://helmrig.app/shell-terms.html
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is ads: Helmrig Shell at none against CMD's shown. CMD's advantage is chart position (#82 vs unranked) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence, in-app purchases and device support 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
CMD ships an update every 10 days, Helmrig Shell every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | CMD | Helmrig Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (76 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 94.6% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 76 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 10 days — better | Every 2 weeks |
| Ads | Yes | No — better |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Ad-supported | — |
| Best chart rank | #82 — better | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 39 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sunandan Sekhar Das | Nikita Kislitsin |
In-app purchases
CMD
No in-app purchases
Helmrig Shell
No in-app purchases









