Comparison

MonkeySSH vs ShellPhone

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

Head to head
About

MonkeySSH

This app provides a mobile SSH workspace for agentic coding, allowing users to connect to servers, manage remote windows, and resume coding sessions. It features a robust terminal, file browsing, port forwarding, and secure SSH key management for modern remote development.

Highlights
  • Mobile terminal with advanced features
  • MonkeyMux and tmux remote window management
  • Agent workflows for coding assistants
  • SFTP workspace for file management
  • SSH key management
  • Port forwarding with in-app browser
  • Local-first security with biometrics
Features
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Run coding agents on your own servers from iPhone or iPad. MonkeySSH puts native agent conversations, a full SSH terminal, MonkeyMux or tmux windows, and SFTP in one remote workspace. Choose the right view for each task: - Chat with supported agents in native windows with streaming replies, tool progress, plans, diffs, permission prompts, images, attachments, slash commands, and session history. Model and mode controls depend on the agent. Get notified when an agent finishes or needs permission. - Switch to the full terminal whenever you need direct CLI control, xterm-256color, inline images, gestures, modifier keys, function keys, macros, or IME-friendly typing. - Keep agent and shell work running in persistent MonkeyMux windows. Reconnect, switch windows, and share the same session with your desktop. - Launch Claude Code, Copilot CLI, Codex, OpenCode, Antigravity, Cursor Agent, Pi, Hermes, OpenClaw, Grok Build, and Muse Code, find recent project-scoped sessions, and save launch presets per host. - Manage agent CLIs and ACP adapters on a host with Agent Management. Check versions, install or repair supported packages, and update supported installations together. See account usage, remaining allowances, and reset times when available. A dot on the terminal menu flags available updates. - Browse, upload, download, create, and edit remote files over SFTP. - Generate or import Ed25519 and RSA keys, verify host keys, use jump hosts, and cancel slow connection attempts. - Forward remote ports, manage live tunnels, and open forwarded services in the in-app browser. - Save snippets, macros, home-screen shortcuts, and per-host startup settings for repeat work. Your hosts, keys, snippets, and settings stay on your device. PIN and biometric lock are available, and MonkeySSH does not require cloud sync. Optional analytics and crash reports are off by default and exclude commands, terminal output, paths, hostnames, usernames, clipboard contents, and credentials. SSH, terminal, SFTP, one connected native chat, and the choice between native and terminal agent windows are free. MonkeySSH Pro adds parallel native chats with instant switching and session forks, agent launch presets and recent-session discovery, Agent Management and supported-agent usage rings in MonkeyMux, auto-connect automation, encrypted transfers and migration packages, and host-specific themes. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://github.com/depollsoft/MonkeySSH/blob/main/docs/privacy-policy.md

About

ShellPhone

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1-month free trial. Try every Pro feature at no cost. Your terminal, in your pocket. NEW: server monitoring with nothing to install — live CPU, RAM, disk and processes on any Linux, macOS or Windows server. ShellPhone is a full-featured SSH client for iPhone, iPad, Mac — one native app, every device. Free to download and use daily. No cloud. No tracking. A genuine xterm terminal and a Termux-style on-screen keyboard with every shell symbol you need. Optional annual subscriptions unlock the power-user features — or get the All-in-one bundle and forget about it. No account, ever. FREE — your daily SSH client • Quick Connect, no signup • Multi-tab terminal · true colour · UTF-8 · unlimited scrollback • SFTP browser with streaming downloads • Command history search • Natural-language snippet search (cht.sh) • SSH key import (encrypted in keychain) • Host-key trust (TOFU) • App lock (Face ID / Touch ID / fingerprint / PIN) • 5 themes · 9 languages · iTerm2 .itermcolors import • Persist theme, font & language • Hardware keyboard shortcuts • Multi-window on iPad · split panes • End-to-end encrypted Cloud Sync • Encrypted backup · transparent reconnection • Tools: chmod calculator · SSH key generator · bandwidth test • Live server monitor — CPU, RAM, disk, load, processes · no agent (Linux, macOS, Windows) • Jump to recent folders — the terminal learns your cd’s • Crontab builder & explainer — offline • Hashes & checksums (MD5/SHA-1/SHA-256/SHA-512) — offline • Base64 & URL encoders • Password & token generator • MAC vendor lookup — on-device OUI database • Connection groups — folders for saved connections • Built-in glossary — every tool, icon and flow (incl. Multiexec), in 9 languages POWER USER • Save SSH connections • Bulk-import ~/.ssh/config · strict key validation • Save tunnels — LOCAL (-L) + SOCKS5 (-D) • Snippets with {{variables}} • SFTP uploads · auto-sync SFTP • ProxyJump / bastion (ssh -J) · Telnet • Wi-Fi triggers (by SSID) · pubkey agent • Macros — command sequences • Code editor for remote files • Zip / unzip over SFTP • Multitail — follow several remote logs • Remote SQLite browser • SFTP file management (rename, mkdir, chmod) • Search the scrollback · extract URLs · session recording · live latency • Fleet — every server at a glance · 24h on-device history · threshold alerts • tmux auto-attach per connection — reconnect and re-attach after network changes • Paste an image: SFTP upload to /tmp, path lands in your prompt • Dev-server preview — local tunnel + browser • JWT decoder — header, claims, expiry • Checksum of remote files over SSH • Format converter — JSON, YAML, TOML and XML • Multiexec — a dedicated tab: type once, reach several SSH sessions • Per-connection VPN — import a WireGuard config and that connection tunnels through it; userspace, no system-wide VPN, no TUN NETWORK TOOLS • Wake on LAN • TCP Ping (latency, jitter, loss) • DNS lookup (A/AAAA/MX/TXT/NS/CNAME/SOA/PTR) · Reverse DNS · Whois • Subnet scanner · port scanner • TLS cert inspector (fingerprints + expiry alerts) • HTTP / curl tester • iperf3 client (TCP/UDP) • Multi-host send • SSH over HTTP CONNECT proxy · remote port forward (ssh -R) • Subnet calculator — CIDR, mask, wildcard, usable range • Timestamp converter — Unix, ISO-8601, time zones • UUID v4 and ULID generator REMOTE DESKTOP • VNC viewer (RFC 6143) — RealVNC, x11vnc, macOS Screen Sharing, Raspberry Pi • Pinch-zoom up to 10× · drag-pan • Raw + CopyRect encodings · VNC password auth ALL-IN-ONE • Power user + Network tools + Remote desktop together, at a discount Annual auto-renewable subscriptions, cancel anytime. No analytics SDKs, no third-party tracking; your keys stay in the OS keychain. Terms of Use (EULA): https://shellphone.sggyamg.com/terms/ Privacy Policy: https://shellphone.sggyamg.com/privacy/

Screenshots

MonkeySSH4 screens
ShellPhone4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: MonkeySSH at every 2 days against ShellPhone's every 9 days. 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. MonkeySSH sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and ShellPhone sells 4 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

MonkeySSH ships an update every 2 days, ShellPhone every 9 days. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
MonkeySSH versus ShellPhone: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMonkeySSHShellPhone
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 9 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.0 — better15.5
Further details — not scored
Size55 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDepollsoftAntonio Martinez Gimeno

In-app purchases

2 purchases

MonkeySSH

Subscriptions2
  • MonkeySSH Pro (Monthly)$4.991 Month
  • MonkeySSH Pro (Annual)$49.991 Year
4 purchases

ShellPhone

Subscriptions4
  • Power user$1.991 Year
  • Network tools$1.991 Year
  • Remote desktop$3.991 Year
Show 1 more
  • All-in-one$5.991 Year

Questions

Is MonkeySSH free?
MonkeySSH is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ShellPhone free?
ShellPhone is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do MonkeySSH or ShellPhone have ads?
Neither MonkeySSH nor ShellPhone shows ads.
Which is updated more often, MonkeySSH or ShellPhone?
MonkeySSH ships an update every 2 days, and ShellPhone every 9 days. Most recently, MonkeySSH was updated on September 24, 2026 and ShellPhone on September 17, 2026.

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