Comparison

NetShell vs GateShell

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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

About

GateShell

This app provides a secure and private SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client that runs entirely on-device. It offers advanced terminal features, server management dashboards, and file editing capabilities, all without relying on external servers or tracking user data.

Highlights
  • Zero-backend SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client
  • On-device credential management
  • Native Mosh with persistent sessions
  • Server management dashboards (Docker, DBs, etc.)
  • SFTP file transfer with background retry
  • Built-in code editor with syntax highlighting
  • AI coding agent integration
Features
Read full description

GateShell is an SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client, and a full server command center. Your servers, your keys, your device, nothing in between. No backend, no relays, no tracking. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Zero backend. GateShell runs entirely on-device. There's no server to breach because there is no server. • Credentials live in the hardware-encrypted Apple Keychain, or on Secure Enclave keys that never leave your device, not even as an export. • No analytics, no telemetry. We don't know who you are or what you connect to. CONNECT, AND STAY CONNECTED • Native Mosh, with encrypted UDP and predictive local echo. Change networks, close the lid, come back hours later: your session is still there. • Jump hosts reach private servers through a bastion, with per-hop auth and host-key checks. • Import your ~/.ssh/config, or bulk-import servers from CSV. • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet, with automatic SSH fallback when UDP is blocked. SECURE CONNECTIONS • Verified host keys, pinned per server, with a warning the instant one changes. • Generate ed25519, P-256, RSA, or Secure Enclave hardware-backed keys, or import a PuTTY .ppk, including Argon2-encrypted ones. • Security Assistant scans for missing updates, exposed listeners, weak SSH policy, firewall gaps, and expiring certificates. Every finding shows its evidence, and guided fixes run allow-listed commands only after you approve them. • Face ID / Touch ID lock keeps your servers safe even if your device isn't. A REAL TERMINAL • Full XTerm-256 color terminal with fullscreen, scrollback search, and a customizable toolbar. • Two- and four-pane terminals with optional input broadcast. • 32 themes, bundled Nerd Fonts, custom font import, and named keyboard layouts. • Command snippets with ${VAR} prompts, run across many hosts at once. MANAGE THE WHOLE SERVER • 20+ built-in dashboards: Docker, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, Firewall, Cron, PM2, WireGuard, Fail2Ban and more. Each one shows the status and acts on it. • Fleet broadcasts one command to every server at once. • Live health monitoring with restart, logs, and failure alerts. • Install the optional open-source agent on your own server for metric history and push alerts when a service drops, a disk fills, or a cron job fails. It runs on your box, not ours. FILES & CODE • Upload and download over SFTP with progress tracking and background retry. • Show your servers in the Files app, and open remote files like local ones. • Built-in editor with syntax highlighting and find/replace for 13+ languages. • Git on the go: status, stage, commit, and review diffs. • App Preview opens your dev server right in the app, tunneled over your existing SSH connection. BRING YOUR OWN CODING AGENT • Start, resume, and interrupt Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI in any project on your server, straight from the terminal. • It runs under your account, with your CLI. GateShell never proxies it and never sees your provider keys. AI THAT STAYS ON THE DEVICE • Describe what you want in plain English, and GateShell composes the command on-device via Apple Intelligence. • Long output gets an instant, structured summary with error and warning counts. • A multi-step agent proposes a plan and runs it, with your approval on every step. • Automatic secret redaction and a risk warning before dangerous commands run. AT A GLANCE • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick connect, server health, and your last session, plus a Live Activity that tracks the connection you're on. SYNC EVERYWHERE • iCloud syncs your servers, snippets, and known hosts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, end-to-end encrypted. Free to start. Pro unlocks unlimited servers, SFTP, Mosh, port forwarding, the full dashboard suite, and more. On-device AI features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Terms of Use: https://gateshell.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://gateshell.com/privacy

Screenshots

NetShell4 screens
GateShell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: NetShell at none against GateShell's 2. NetShell also leads on update cadence (every 8 days vs every 5 weeks) and chart position (#22 vs unranked). GateShell's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, ads, device support 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. GateShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. NetShell asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

NetShell ships an update every 8 days, GateShell every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 8, 2026 and September 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 6 level
NetShell versus GateShell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterNetShellGateShell
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.1 (7 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews85.7% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings7 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
Best chart rank#22 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperWellington MukahiwaHEFTY INNOVATIONS

Customer experience

NetShell

All ratings7 ratings
Positive71.4%
Neutral14.3%
Negative14.3%
Written reviews7 reviews
Positive85.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative14.3%

GateShell

Written reviews3 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

NetShell

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

GateShell

Subscriptions2
  • GateShell Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • GateShell Pro Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is NetShell free?
NetShell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GateShell free?
GateShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do NetShell or GateShell have ads?
Neither NetShell nor GateShell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, NetShell or GateShell?
NetShell ships an update every 8 days, and GateShell every 5 weeks. Most recently, NetShell was updated on October 8, 2026 and GateShell on September 29, 2026.

Other comparisons