Comparison

CatClaw Terminal vs Doufu

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

Head to head
About

CatClaw Terminal

Transform your mobile device into a powerful development environment. Access an SSH terminal, AI chatrooms, file management, and advanced workflow tools for on-the-go coding and debugging.

Highlights
  • Full SSH client with persistent sessions
  • AI ghost-text suggestions and error explanations
  • SFTP file browser with batch operations
  • Multi-tool AI chatrooms with various AI models
  • On-device Apple Intelligence features
  • Background job execution with push notifications
  • DevOps toolkit for code review and monitoring
Features
Read full description

ClawTerminal turns your iPhone or iPad into a full mobile dev environment. SSH terminal, AI chatrooms, file browser, multi-agent orchestration, and a Mac-class workflow that fits in one hand. Start a refactor on the train. Review a PR at lunch. Diagnose an outage from bed. Your Mac does the heavy lifting; your phone is the remote control. WHAT'S NEW IN v1.5.0 - Push with no account - the new ntfy channel needs no login or registration. Run /notifier ntfy, pick a topic, and subscribe in the free ntfy app. Telegram, Discord, and Slack work too. - Every Claude Code command works - ClawTerminal forwards any slash command your claude session supports, including new ones in future CLI releases, instead of an unknown-command error. - QR connect - set up a connection once, show it as a QR, and scan it on another iPhone or iPad. No retyping host, port, and key on a phone keyboard. - Claude Fable 5 - the fast 1M-context model is selectable everywhere, with a new Fast agent-routing preset that runs your whole team on it. - Quiet while the app is open - no more double-buzzing for a job you are already watching; banners resume when you leave. WHAT YOU GET A Real Terminal - Full SSH client with persistent sessions, themes, autocomplete - Vim, htop, tmux, mosh - everything just works - AI ghost-text suggestions; tap errors for instant explanations - SFTP file browser with batch operations - Share a connection by QR to set up a second device in one scan (NEW) - iPad multi-window, drag and drop, cursor support Multi-Tool AI Chatrooms - Claude, Codex, Gemini, or Aider - switch tools per chatroom - Direct API mode or CLI mode over SSH to your Mac - Claude Fable 5, Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku model options (NEW) - Apple Intelligence on-device when no API key is set - ?prefix routes a message through parallel exploration - Cross-session memory and custom skills tailored to you Power Commands - /research - in-app propose-evaluate-refine for about a penny - /whatif - predict 3 likely outcomes before a risky command - /frugal - strip the preamble for cheaper, faster answers - /duck - Socratic rubber-duck debugging - /standup - daily standup from yesterday's chat plus git log Multi-Agent Orchestration - /batch, /team, /race, /orchestrate - parallel agents, side-by-side - Quality, Balanced, Budget, or Fast (all Fable 5) routing presets (NEW) - Git worktree isolation per agent with --vcs - --app opens a visual command center; bare commands use Claude's native orchestration Background Jobs with Push - /submit runs long jobs in the background; push when they finish - /notifier ntfy - no account, no login, just a topic you pick (NEW) - /notifier setup for APNs from your own Mac; /notifier telegram for your own bot - Chat-app push for Hermes and OpenClaw results (Telegram, Discord, Slack, ntfy) - Per-job cost tracking, budgets, auto-recovery DevOps Toolkit - /git, /health, /monitor, /security, /pr, /preview, /conflicts - AI code review, live web preview, merge conflict resolver Context-Aware AI (OPT-IN) - Time, calendar, motion, battery shape Claude's tone and length The Learn Hub - 6 interactive tutorial tracks, 43 hands-on steps - Written tutorials and examples, bundled offline Cross-Device - /handoff between phone and Mac tmux sessions - Shared chatrooms, synced profiles, Apple Watch companion Voice and Camera - /voice and Speak with Search (iOS 26 SpeechAnalyzer) - Snap and Code - point camera at a whiteboard, get code Privacy First - All credentials in the iOS Keychain - On-device AI when supported - your prompts can stay on the phone - No account, no telemetry, no tracking, no ads WHO IT IS FOR - Developers who want their Mac available everywhere - Indie founders and DevOps engineers shipping from anywhere - Anyone who wants Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini from a phone Requires an SSH-reachable Mac or Linux server for heavy work. AI chatrooms also work fully offline from your Mac via direct API mode or Apple Intelligence on iOS 26.

About

Doufu

Features
Read full description

Doufu is a local HTML project viewer and editor for iPhone. Create, organize, and preview HTML, CSS, and JavaScript projects directly on your device. Each project runs in a sandboxed local web server. You can browse files, edit code, and see changes instantly in the built-in preview — all without an internet connection. PROJECT MANAGEMENT Create multiple projects, each with its own file structure. Doufu provides a file browser, syntax-highlighted editor, and live preview. Import and export projects as .doufu or .doufull archives. VERSION HISTORY Changes are automatically tracked with Git checkpoints. Browse your edit history and restore to any previous version at any time. LLM INTEGRATION (OPTIONAL) Connect your own LLM service to assist with code editing through a chat interface. You need to provide your own API key or log in with your account. Doufu does not include any built-in LLM service and is not affiliated with any provider. API usage fees are charged by the respective service providers. DEVICE CAPABILITIES Projects can request access to device features such as camera, microphone, location, clipboard, and photo library. Each capability is controlled independently per project — you decide what each project can access. PRIVACY All project files, data, and conversations are stored locally on your device. Nothing is uploaded to any external server. ----------- EULA: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

CatClaw Terminal4 screens
Doufu4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: Doufu at every 3 days against CatClaw Terminal's every 2 weeks. CatClaw Terminal's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

CatClaw Terminal ships an update every 2 weeks, Doufu every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 22, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
CatClaw Terminal versus Doufu: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCatClaw TerminalDoufu
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings3 — better
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeksEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB32 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperLiqun ChenZIZICICI LIMITED

In-app purchases

None

CatClaw Terminal

No in-app purchases

None

Doufu

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is CatClaw Terminal free?
CatClaw Terminal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Doufu free?
Doufu is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do CatClaw Terminal or Doufu have ads?
Neither CatClaw Terminal nor Doufu shows ads.
Which is updated more often, CatClaw Terminal or Doufu?
CatClaw Terminal ships an update every 2 weeks, and Doufu every 3 days. Most recently, CatClaw Terminal was updated on September 22, 2026 and Doufu on September 20, 2026.

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