MTerm vs NetShell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
MTerm
This app is a professional SSH client and terminal emulator for iOS, designed for AI-driven remote development. It allows developers to run AI tools and manage servers from their mobile devices with persistent sessions and a customizable interface.
- Integrated SSH terminal and remote IDE
- Persistent SSH sessions
- Multi-window and multi-pane support
- Workspace saving and instant restore
- Plugin system for extending capabilities
- Snippets and clipboard history
- Customizable accessory bar
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Run Claude Code, Codex, and AI agents from your iPad or iPhone — without being tied to a desk. MTerm is a professional SSH client and iOS terminal emulator built specifically for AI-driven remote development. If you need serious developer tools on mobile, MTerm delivers a stable, persistent, and fully featured terminal environment for modern workflows. Designed for developers who manage Linux, Mac, and cloud servers, MTerm combines a powerful SSH terminal, remote IDE, workspace persistence, and AI-focused tooling into one seamless experience. PERFECT FOR DEVELOPERS WHO - Run Claude Code, Codex, or other AI CLI tools remotely - Search for a professional SSH client for iPad or iPhone - Need a reliable iOS terminal emulator - Work in remote development environments - Manage servers via SSH daily - Build AI-driven workflows on the go MTerm is optimized for uninterrupted AI coding and serious remote development. ―――――――――――― AI DEVELOPMENT WORKSPACE - Integrated SSH terminal + remote IDE + prompt manager - Multi-window and multi-pane support for parallel AI workflows - Workspace saving with CMD + S - Restore native pane layouts instantly on reconnect - Built for long-running development sessions PERSISTENT SSH SESSIONS - Keep SSH sessions alive when switching apps - Designed for sustained remote development - Active sessions visible in Notification Center - Monitor running sessions with Live Activities ADVANCED SSH CLIENT - Password, SSH Key, and Keychain authentication - Jump Host (bastion) support - Local and Remote Port Forwarding - Secure, stable connections for Linux, macOS, and cloud servers - Mosh support for resilient connections on unstable mobile networks MTERM PLUGIN SYSTEM - Extend terminal capabilities with MTerm Plugins - Integrate your Mac or remote server environment - Session persistence powered by abduco - Reconnect to long-running terminal sessions safely - Display the current Git branch directly in the terminal footer SNIPPETS & CLIPBOARD HISTORY - Save commands and code as reusable snippets - Quickly paste from clipboard history - Ideal for repetitive development and AI prompt workflows ENHANCED AI PROMPT INPUT - Attach images and files directly in the prompt editor - Optimized for Claude Code and AI CLI usage - Seamless integration with the SSH terminal MULTI-PANE & TAB MANAGEMENT - Native split-view terminal emulator - Connect to multiple servers simultaneously - Organize sessions with tabs - Independent layouts per tab - Vertical tab mode for better session navigation - Unlimited panes (Pro) CUSTOMIZABLE ACCESSORY BAR - Configure shortcut buttons in the software keyboard toolbar - Improve command efficiency without external tools - Designed for fast command input on touch devices BUILT-IN REMOTE EDITOR (Pro) - Edit code, JSON, and Markdown directly on remote servers - Designed for uninterrupted development IMAGE PREVIEW (Pro) - Instantly preview files - Useful for reviewing AI-generated assets FULL CJK & IME SUPPORT - Accurate rendering for Japanese, Chinese, and Korean text - Full IME input compatibility - Stable long-form text input in terminal environments MAGIC KEYBOARD & HARDWARE KEYBOARD SUPPORT - Full keyboard shortcuts - Optimized for professional iPad development - Turn your iPad or iPhone into a serious developer workstation ―――――――――――― MTerm is not just another SSH client. It’s an AI-focused iOS terminal built for real remote development. Advanced features are unlocked with Pro. Privacy Policy: https://mterm.app/en/privacy Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
NetShell
A professional SSH terminal client for secure remote access on mobile devices. It offers a powerful terminal, SFTP file browser, and network tools for developers and sysadmins. Supports multiple connections, themes, and secure authentication methods.
- Full-featured terminal with SwiftTerm engine
- Multiple concurrent sessions with tabbed interface
- SSH key authentication
- SFTP file browser with upload/download
- Network scanning and topology map
- Snippets with variable substitution
- iCloud sync across devices
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NetShell is the all-in-one SSH terminal, file server browser, and server management suite designed for developers, sysadmins, and network engineers who need secure remote access on the go. TERMINAL POWER - Full SSH terminal with 16 themes, multiple sessions, and broadcast mode - Local on-device shell with 20+ built-in commands - Multi-hop tunneling - chain jump hosts to reach any server - RSA 4096 and Ed25519 key generation and import - Telnet (plain + TLS) and Mosh auto-reconnect support - Port forwarding: local, remote, and SOCKS5 with auto-start on launch FILE MANAGEMENT - SFTP browser with multi-session tabs, upload, download, and inline text editor - SMB/CIFS file server browser with photo/video upload from camera roll - Grid and list views, batch operations, drag-to-reorder DOCKER & COMPOSE - Monitor and control containers: start, stop, restart, remove - Docker Compose stack management: up, down, restart, pull - Container logs, inspect, stats, and image management - Home screen widget with container status SERVER MONITORING - Real-time CPU, memory, disk, and load average dashboard - 30-day metrics history with interactive charts - Uptime monitoring with background checks and push alerts - SSL certificate expiry tracking with warnings - Security alerts for failed logins and brute force detection NETWORK DISCOVERY - Scan your local network via Bonjour and port sweep - Interactive topology map with force-directed layout - Device baselines to detect new or missing devices - One-tap SSH connection from discovered devices PRODUCTIVITY - AI assistant powered by Claude, GPT, or local Ollama - agentic mode with command execution - Command snippets with variable templates - Snippet sequences - chain commands with delays for automation - Connection tags and groups with drag-to-reorder - Siri shortcuts for voice-controlled actions SECURITY & PRIVACY - Credentials stored in iOS Keychain, never in plain text - Host key verification (Trust On First Use) - Face ID / Touch ID protection - AES-256 encrypted data export - Optional anonymous analytics (off by default, no PII ever collected) - iCloud sync for connections, snippets, devices, and rules - passwords never leave your device WIDGETS - Server status widget: CPU, memory, disk at a glance - Docker widget: running container count and status - Small, medium, large, and lock screen sizes Built for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ https://netshellssh.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is rating: MTerm at 5.0 against NetShell's 4.1. MTerm also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs every 8 days) and review sentiment (100% vs 86%). NetShell's advantage is monetization model (free vs free with in-app purchases) and ratings volume (7 vs 1). On price, ads, 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. MTerm sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month and NetShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
MTerm holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.1. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: NetShell has 7 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 100% of MTerm's written reviews are positive against 86% of NetShell's.
MTerm ships an update every 3 days, NetShell every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 22, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | MTerm | NetShell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better | 4.1 (7 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better | 85.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 7 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 3 days — better | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free — better |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | kazuki oinuma | Wellington Mukahiwa |
Customer experience
MTerm
NetShell
In-app purchases
MTerm
- MTerm サブスクリプション(月額)$1.991 Month
- MTerm サブスクリプション(年額)$24.991 Year
- MTerm Pro$14.99
NetShell
- NetShell Pro Monthly$6.991 Month
- NetShell Pro Yearly$69.991 Year








