Comparison

Forji vs Astra Shell

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

Head to head
About

Forji

A native iOS client for self-hosted Git services, allowing users to browse repositories, manage issues and pull requests, and review code directly from their iPhone. It supports connecting to any Forgejo instance and offers features like syntax highlighting and secure credential storage.

Highlights
  • Connect to any Forgejo instance
  • Browse repositories and files
  • Manage issues and pull requests
  • Review code with inline diffs
  • Merge pull requests
  • Manage notifications
  • Support for multiple accounts
Features
Read full description

Forji is a native iOS client for Forgejo, the self-hosted Git service. Browse repositories, manage issues and pull requests, review code, and stay on top of notifications — all from your iPhone. Features: - Connect to any Forgejo instance, including self-hosted servers with self-signed certificates - Browse repositories, files, and README previews with syntax highlighting - Create, edit, and manage issues with labels, milestones, and assignees - Review pull requests with inline diffs - Merge pull requests directly from the app - View and manage notifications - Support for multiple Forgejo accounts - Secure credential storage using the iOS Keychain - Light and dark mode support

About

Astra Shell

Features
Read full description

Astra Shell is a native terminal client designed for persistent remote work. Traditional remote terminals are tied to the current device and network. When a client restarts, the network disconnects, or you switch devices, you often need to reconnect and find your place again. Astra Shell keeps shells running on a remote host you control, so your Mac, iPhone, and iPad can return to the same terminal and continue from the existing context. Key features: • Persistent remote shells Remote shells and their tasks continue running after the client disconnects. Reconnect to return to an existing terminal. • Continue across devices Open the same shell from Mac, iPhone, or iPad to keep viewing and entering commands. • Native terminal experience Supports common terminal modes, colors, wide characters, alternate screens, mouse input, paged history, and copy and paste. • Remote files Browse remote directories, upload and download files, preview text, view transfer progress, and inspect Git status. • Astra and SSH hosts Connect to a self-hosted Astra service over QUIC/TLS, or use standalone SSH/SFTP mode with a standard server. • Private-key security SSH private keys are stored in Keychain. Host configurations and credentials can synchronize through iCloud Keychain when enabled. Astra mode requires the open-source astrad service on a host you own or manage, with an authorized public key configured. Standard SSH hosts do not require astrad. Installation instructions are available on the support website. Astra Shell contains no advertising or behavioral analytics. It does not send terminal commands, remote files, or SSH private keys to the developer.

Screenshots

Forji4 screens
Astra Shell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Astra Shell at 17.0 against Forji's 26.2. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

Forji ships an update every 2 weeks, Astra Shell every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
Forji versus Astra Shell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterForjiAstra Shell
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.7 (10 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews75.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings10 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 4 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStefan Hausotte玥 熊

In-app purchases

None

Forji

No in-app purchases

None

Astra Shell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Forji free?
Forji is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Astra Shell free?
Astra Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Forji or Astra Shell have ads?
Neither Forji nor Astra Shell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Forji or Astra Shell?
Forji ships an update every 2 weeks, and Astra Shell every 4 weeks. Most recently, Forji was updated on October 7, 2026 and Astra Shell on October 12, 2026.

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