Ash vs ZestSSH

Native SSH client for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Open a shell, push files over SFTP, forward a port, monitor a server. Terminal — multiple sessions, configurable shell, fonts, theme. Hold-and-drag cursor scrub, two-finger paste, pinch zoom. ⌘T / ⌘W / ⌘1-9 on iPad and Mac. SFTP — browse, upload, download, edit text files inline. Save with sudo when needed. Drag-and-drop from Files or Finder. Server Dashboard — live CPU, RAM, disk, latency. OS, kernel, uptime. Port Forwarding — local (-L) and remote (-R) tunnels, multiple per host. SSH Keys — generate Ed25519 or RSA on-device. Import from Files or clipboard. Stored in iOS Keychain. Face ID / Touch ID lock. Connections survive the lock screen. Keepalive defeats NAT timeouts. Auto-reconnect on Wi-Fi / cellular handoff. No telemetry. No analytics. No ads. Host configs sync only via your private iCloud, opt-in.

ZestSSH is a modern SSH client built for people who actually manage servers. No subscription, no feature gates on the basics — just a fast, secure terminal that works everywhere. THE MODERN SSH CLIENT ZestSSH is the modern alternative to aging SSH clients — cross-platform, actively maintained, and with features others never had. SFTP BUILT IN — FREE Browse your remote filesystem, upload and download files, drag and drop transfers. No paywall. No subscription. Free for everyone. FULL SSH TERMINAL xterm 4.0.0 with full ANSI/256-color support. Ed25519, RSA, ECDSA key generation built in. Password and key auth. Import from ~/.ssh/config directly. TRY IT WITHOUT A SERVER Built-in demo terminal with a simulated shell. 30+ commands including neofetch, ls, ping, and more. Try ZestSSH before you connect anything. SNIPPETS Save commands and run them in one tap. Dynamic variables auto-fetch your Docker containers, PM2 processes, systemd services, and more from the server at runtime. PORT FORWARDING Local, remote, and dynamic SOCKS5 forwarding. Pre-configure per connection and auto-activate on connect. SERVER MONITORING Built-in health monitoring with CPU, RAM, disk, uptime, and latency. Prometheus integration for homelab setups. No extra agent required for basic monitoring. SECURITY FIRST SQLCipher encrypted database. Keys stored in iOS Keychain. Biometric unlock with Argon2id PIN fallback. Host key verification. Dangerous command protection — warns before rm, dd, mkfs, and similar commands. TERMINAL CUSTOMIZATION 13 built-in themes including Dracula, Nord, Tokyo Night, Gruvbox, Synthwave, and more. 6 monospace fonts including JetBrains Mono and Fira Code. Custom theme builder. Cursor styles, scrollback, font size — all configurable. MOBILE OPTIMIZED Touch gestures for Ctrl+C, paste, zoom, and session switching. Home screen widgets. App shortcuts. Hardware keyboard support. Keep screen awake per session. PRICING — LIFETIME, NO SUBSCRIPTIONS...EVER!! Free — 2 sessions, SFTP, port forwarding, all protocols, biometric lock, demo terminal Pro ($9.99 once) — unlimited sessions, all themes, shortcuts, advanced layouts, widgets and more Cloud Sync ($24.99 once) — E2E encrypted sync across all devices. Your data is encrypted on your device before it ever leaves — we literally cannot read it. Full details at zestssh.com/security Bundle ($29.99 once) — Pro + Cloud Sync, saves $5