Comparison

TestCrew vs GateShell

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

Head to head
About

TestCrew

Features
Read full description

TestCrew is a credit-based platform for app developers who want to recruit testers and get feedback on their apps. Test other developers’ apps to earn credits, then use those credits to list your own app and recruit testers. It is a simple, community-driven way to grow participation and collect useful feedback during pre-release testing. HOW IT WORKS Earn Credits: Complete app tests and receive credits for each finished test. List Your App: Use credits to publish your app and recruit testers. Get Feedback: Testers install your app, explore its features, and share feedback based on their experience. Mutual Support: Developers help one another by testing apps and contributing to an active testing community. SMART RANKING SYSTEM Apps are ranked using a fair system designed to improve visibility and matching. Ranking considers factors such as current demand, listing freshness, tester needs, and overall marketplace balance. PREMIUM MEMBERSHIP Upgrade to Premium for additional benefits, including monthly credits, bonus credits for completed tests, extra listing capacity, and improved visibility for your app listings. DISCORD INTEGRATION Connect your Discord account to unlock additional community features and participate in feedback-based testing workflows. API ACCESS Manage your testing workflow programmatically with API keys and REST API access. Integrate TestCrew with your development process to create listings, complete tests, and track activity more efficiently. CREDIT OPTIONS Earn credits by testing other apps, purchase credit packs for faster access to listings, or subscribe to Premium for recurring credits and expanded features. WHY DEVELOPERS CHOOSE TESTCREW Credit-based system that rewards active participation Developer-to-developer testing community Useful feedback from real testers Discord integration for communication API support for automation and workflow management Join TestCrew and make app testing and tester recruitment more efficient.

About

GateShell

This app provides a secure and private SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client that runs entirely on-device. It offers advanced terminal features, server management dashboards, and file editing capabilities, all without relying on external servers or tracking user data.

Highlights
  • Zero-backend SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client
  • On-device credential management
  • Native Mosh with persistent sessions
  • Server management dashboards (Docker, DBs, etc.)
  • SFTP file transfer with background retry
  • Built-in code editor with syntax highlighting
  • AI coding agent integration
Features
Read full description

GateShell is an SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client, and a full server command center. Your servers, your keys, your device, nothing in between. No backend, no relays, no tracking. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Zero backend. GateShell runs entirely on-device. There's no server to breach because there is no server. • Credentials live in the hardware-encrypted Apple Keychain, or on Secure Enclave keys that never leave your device, not even as an export. • No analytics, no telemetry. We don't know who you are or what you connect to. CONNECT, AND STAY CONNECTED • Native Mosh, with encrypted UDP and predictive local echo. Change networks, close the lid, come back hours later: your session is still there. • Jump hosts reach private servers through a bastion, with per-hop auth and host-key checks. • Import your ~/.ssh/config, or bulk-import servers from CSV. • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet, with automatic SSH fallback when UDP is blocked. SECURE CONNECTIONS • Verified host keys, pinned per server, with a warning the instant one changes. • Generate ed25519, P-256, RSA, or Secure Enclave hardware-backed keys, or import a PuTTY .ppk, including Argon2-encrypted ones. • Security Assistant scans for missing updates, exposed listeners, weak SSH policy, firewall gaps, and expiring certificates. Every finding shows its evidence, and guided fixes run allow-listed commands only after you approve them. • Face ID / Touch ID lock keeps your servers safe even if your device isn't. A REAL TERMINAL • Full XTerm-256 color terminal with fullscreen, scrollback search, and a customizable toolbar. • Two- and four-pane terminals with optional input broadcast. • 32 themes, bundled Nerd Fonts, custom font import, and named keyboard layouts. • Command snippets with ${VAR} prompts, run across many hosts at once. MANAGE THE WHOLE SERVER • 20+ built-in dashboards: Docker, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, Firewall, Cron, PM2, WireGuard, Fail2Ban and more. Each one shows the status and acts on it. • Fleet broadcasts one command to every server at once. • Live health monitoring with restart, logs, and failure alerts. • Install the optional open-source agent on your own server for metric history and push alerts when a service drops, a disk fills, or a cron job fails. It runs on your box, not ours. FILES & CODE • Upload and download over SFTP with progress tracking and background retry. • Show your servers in the Files app, and open remote files like local ones. • Built-in editor with syntax highlighting and find/replace for 13+ languages. • Git on the go: status, stage, commit, and review diffs. • App Preview opens your dev server right in the app, tunneled over your existing SSH connection. BRING YOUR OWN CODING AGENT • Start, resume, and interrupt Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI in any project on your server, straight from the terminal. • It runs under your account, with your CLI. GateShell never proxies it and never sees your provider keys. AI THAT STAYS ON THE DEVICE • Describe what you want in plain English, and GateShell composes the command on-device via Apple Intelligence. • Long output gets an instant, structured summary with error and warning counts. • A multi-step agent proposes a plan and runs it, with your approval on every step. • Automatic secret redaction and a risk warning before dangerous commands run. AT A GLANCE • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick connect, server health, and your last session, plus a Live Activity that tracks the connection you're on. SYNC EVERYWHERE • iCloud syncs your servers, snippets, and known hosts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, end-to-end encrypted. Free to start. Pro unlocks unlimited servers, SFTP, Mosh, port forwarding, the full dashboard suite, and more. On-device AI features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Terms of Use: https://gateshell.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://gateshell.com/privacy

Screenshots

TestCrew4 screens
GateShell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: TestCrew at 15.1 against GateShell's 17.0. 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. TestCrew sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and GateShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TestCrew ships an update every 4 weeks, GateShell every 5 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 24, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 9 level
TestCrew versus GateShell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTestCrewGateShell
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 weeks — betterEvery 5 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Freemium
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS15.1 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB52 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerakira kawataHEFTY INNOVATIONS

In-app purchases

2 purchases

TestCrew

Subscriptions1
  • Premium Monthly$4.991 Month
One-time1
  • 20 Credits$2.99
2 purchases

GateShell

Subscriptions2
  • GateShell Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • GateShell Pro Yearly$9.991 Year

Questions

Is TestCrew free?
TestCrew is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is GateShell free?
GateShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TestCrew or GateShell have ads?
Neither TestCrew nor GateShell shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TestCrew or GateShell?
TestCrew ships an update every 4 weeks, and GateShell every 5 weeks. Most recently, TestCrew was updated on October 25, 2026 and GateShell on October 24, 2026.

Other comparisons