# NetShell vs GateShell

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 (#26 vs unranked). GateShell's advantage is review sentiment (100% vs 86%). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | NetShell | GateShell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.1 (7 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netshell-ssh-terminal/id6758855777/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **7** | — |
| Positive reviews | 85.7% of reviews | **100.0% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | **No** | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 8 days** | Every 5 weeks |
| Monetization | **Free** | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | **#26** | — |
| Size | 23 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | **iPhone, iPad, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Wellington Mukahiwa](https://appshunter.io/developer/1860692395) | [HEFTY INNOVATIONS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785287623) |

## What reviewers say

### NetShell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/netshell-ssh-terminal/id6758855777)

**Currently charting:** #26 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### GateShell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gateshell-ssh-client-and-sftp/id6785287621)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GateShell Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| GateShell Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked 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.

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