Comparison

GlassTerm vs Kex

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

Head to head
About

GlassTerm

Features
Read full description

GlassTerm is a powerful SSH terminal client for iPhone and iPad. Securely connect to your Linux servers, VPS, Raspberry Pi, or any remote machine right from your pocket. Whether you’re a developer debugging in production, a sysadmin managing servers on the go, or a student learning the command line β€” GlassTerm gives you a fast, reliable terminal experience. Key features: β€’ Secure SSH connections β€” password, private key, or Face ID authentication β€’ Multiple terminal sessions β€” work on several servers at once β€’ tmux support β€” persistent sessions that survive disconnects β€’ SFTP file upload β€” send files to your server directly β€’ Command snippets β€” save and reuse frequently used commands β€’ SSH key management β€” generate keys with Secure Enclave protection β€’ Port forwarding β€” local, remote, and dynamic (SOCKS proxy) β€’ Beautiful themes β€” glass-inspired design, dark mode ready β€’ Monospaced fonts β€” optimized for terminal readability β€’ Export public keys β€” deploy keys to servers in one tap Built for developers, system administrators, DevOps engineers, and anyone who needs SSH access from a mobile device. No bloat, no accounts, no subscriptions β€” just a great terminal. One-time purchase unlocks all features forever.

About

Kex

This app provides a full xterm-256color terminal emulator for iOS, allowing users to connect to servers via SSH, Mosh, and Telnet. It includes SFTP file management, multiple session support, and a specialized keyboard for efficient remote server access and administration.

Highlights
  • Full xterm-256color terminal emulation
  • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet protocol support
  • Built-in SFTP file manager
  • Multiple simultaneous terminal sessions
  • Purpose-built terminal keyboard accessory
  • Extensive customization options (themes, fonts, cursor)
  • Hardware keyboard support with shortcuts
Features
Read full description

A desktop-grade SSH terminal emulator built for iOS. Kex is not a simplified command runner β€” it's a full xterm-256color terminal that runs vim, htop, nano, and everything you expect from a real terminal. Leave your laptop behind. Restart a crashed service from the beach. Check your CI pipeline at the airport. SSH into production from a cafΓ©. Monitor your AI coding agent from the couch. With Kex, your entire server infrastructure fits in your pocket. WHO IS KEX FOR? Β· DevOps engineers who need to respond to incidents anytime, anywhere Β· Developers running AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, or Aider on remote servers Β· System administrators managing fleets of Linux servers Β· Cloud engineers working with AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, and more Β· Homelab enthusiasts monitoring Raspberry Pi clusters and self-hosted services Β· Students learning Linux and server administration Β· Anyone who has ever thought "I wish I had a terminal right now" REAL TERMINAL EMULATION Full xterm-256color support with CSI, ESC, OSC, and SGR sequences. Alternate screen buffer for full-screen apps like vim, nano, top, and htop. 256-color and TrueColor rendering. SSH, MOSH & TELNET Connect to any server with SSH. Authenticate with password or SSH keys (Ed25519 and RSA). Mosh support keeps your session alive through Wi-Fi switches, cellular handoffs, and unstable hotel networks. Telnet for legacy systems and network equipment. All protocols, one app. BUILT-IN SFTP FILE MANAGER Browse, upload, download, and manage files on your remote servers. Create folders, rename, delete β€” all from an intuitive file browser. Pull a log file, push a config change, or grab a backup. No need for a separate SFTP app. MULTIPLE SESSIONS Run multiple terminal sessions simultaneously. Switch between them with a tap or with keyboard shortcuts. Each session maintains its own independent state β€” monitor production on one tab, debug staging on another. Manage all your servers from one place. TERMINAL KEYBOARD DONE RIGHT A purpose-built keyboard accessory bar with ESC, Ctrl, Alt, Tab, arrow keys, and F1–F12. Auto-repeat on directional keys. Modifier key toggles. Every key a terminal user needs β€” designed for real work, not bolted on as an afterthought. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING 10+ built-in terminal themes including Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Monokai, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, One Dark, GitHub Dark, and more. Choose your monospace font and size. Pick your cursor style β€” block, underline, or beam with optional blink. Make it yours. iPAD POWER USER Full hardware keyboard support with Cmd+N, Cmd+W, Cmd+T, and Cmd+1–9 shortcuts. Switch sessions, open new connections, and navigate β€” all without touching the screen. Pair with a keyboard and your iPad becomes a proper workstation. SECURITY FIRST SSH keys and credentials stored in the iOS Keychain β€” encrypted on your device, never in the cloud. Ed25519 and RSA key support. Host key verification with SHA-256 fingerprints. Organize keys into groups, see which connections use each key. All connections encrypted end-to-end. STAY CONNECTED Configurable keep-alive to prevent session drops. Detailed connection logs for troubleshooting. Save and organize your servers into groups with one-tap access. Host key memory so you connect with confidence every time. Kex is built for people who take their work seriously β€” but don't want to carry a laptop everywhere. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

GlassTerm2 screens
Kex4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: GlassTerm at none against Kex's shown. Kex's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

Both are free to download. GlassTerm sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Kex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GlassTerm ships an update every 5 days, Kex every 2 days. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 6 level
GlassTerm versus Kex: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGlassTermKex
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviewsβ€”100.0% of reviews
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysEvery 2 days β€” better
AdsNo β€” betterYes
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetizationβ€”Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS18.017.0 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size10 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKyrylo HolovchenkoAli Mert TUFEKCI

In-app purchases

1 purchases

GlassTerm

One-time1
  • Full Access$9.99
3 purchases

Kex

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year

Questions

Is GlassTerm free?
GlassTerm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Kex free?
Kex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do GlassTerm or Kex have ads?
Kex shows ads; GlassTerm does not.
Which is updated more often, GlassTerm or Kex?
GlassTerm ships an update every 5 days, and Kex every 2 days. Most recently, GlassTerm was updated on October 31, 2026 and Kex on October 31, 2026.

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