Comparison

ShellAccess vs Hearth Cmd

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

Head to head
About

ShellAccess

Features
Read full description

Connect to your Linux, macOS, and Unix servers directly from your iPhone or iPad. ShellAccess is a native SSH client built for professionals who need reliable remote server access on the go. Full Terminal Emulation A complete terminal experience with support for interactive applications, color output, and customizable themes. Choose from Pro Dark, Dracula, Nord, Monokai, Solarized, Gruvbox, and more. Adjust font size and family to suit your workflow. Secure Authentication Connect using password or SSH key authentication. Generate Ed25519 and RSA keys directly in the app, or import your existing keys. Passwords can be saved securely with Face ID or Touch ID protection using the iOS Keychain. Host Key Verification ShellAccess verifies server identity on every connection, just like OpenSSH. Unknown hosts prompt for confirmation, and changed host keys trigger clear warnings to protect against man-in-the-middle attacks. Manage your known hosts list from Settings. SFTP File Browser Browse, download, and manage files on your remote servers without leaving the app. Access the built-in SFTP browser from the terminal toolbar with a single tap. Multi-Session Support Work across multiple servers simultaneously. Each connection runs in its own tab with independent terminal state. Switch between sessions instantly. Server Management Save your frequently used servers with host, port, username, and preferred authentication method. Organize servers into folders. Quick Connect lets you jump into a one-off session without saving anything. Port Forwarding Set up local and remote port forwarding tunnels to securely access services behind firewalls. Terminal Toolbar A purpose-built accessory bar gives you quick access to Escape, Tab, Ctrl, arrow keys, and common shortcuts like Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D, and Ctrl+Z โ€” keys that are difficult to type on a touchscreen keyboard. Built for iOS Native SwiftUI interface. Designed to work with the iOS keyboard, multitasking, and system security features. No web views, no Electron โ€” a real native app.

About

Hearth Cmd

Features
Read full description

Hearth puts AI agents to work for you at home. Run agents on your Mac or Linux machine to handle the tasks you never get to โ€” and stay in control from your phone. When an agent is about to do something sensitive, it asks first. You get a notification on your iPhone and tap Allow or Deny. Tap "Always Allow" on actions you're comfortable with and Hearth remembers. Over time, your agents get more autonomous for the things you trust them with, and interruptions become rare. FREE FEATURES โ€ข Approve from anywhere โ€” agents ask before anything important; handle requests in seconds from your phone โ€ข Talk to your agents โ€” send instructions to any running agent mid-task from your phone, no laptop required โ€ข Smart rules โ€” tap "Always Allow" once; Hearth handles it automatically from then on โ€ข See everything โ€” the Transcript tab shows exactly what every agent is doing, step by step, in real time โ€ข Multiple agents โ€” run separate agents with distinct rules and activity histories โ€ข Rich previews โ€” see exactly what the agent wants to do before you approve โ€ข Pull the Plug โ€” stop any agent instantly with one tap HEARTH PRO โ€ข Push notifications โ€” get notified when an agent needs you, even when the app is closed โ€ข Time Sensitive alerts โ€” break through Focus modes โ€ข Voice input โ€” on-device speech-to-text powered by WhisperKit (iPhone 12+) โ€ข Temporary grants โ€” time-limited auto-approve rules that expire automatically Your agents run on your own machine. Hearth relays requests to your phone โ€” nothing executes without your rules. Hearth Cmd is an independent product and is not affiliated with Anthropic, GitHub, Anysphere, OpenAI, or any other AI provider. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

ShellAccess3 screens
Hearth Cmd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ShellAccess at none against Hearth Cmd's 2. Hearth Cmd's advantage is iOS requirement (16.0 vs 26.2). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Hearth Cmd sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. ShellAccess asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 4 level
ShellAccess versus Hearth Cmd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellAccessHearth Cmd
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Every 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo โ€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS26.216.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size19 MB3 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperKTMLABS LLCVerge Labs LLC

In-app purchases

None

ShellAccess

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Hearth Cmd

Subscriptions2
  • Pro Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Hearth Pro Multi-home$9.991 Month

Questions

Is ShellAccess free?
ShellAccess is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Hearth Cmd free?
Hearth Cmd is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShellAccess or Hearth Cmd have ads?
Neither ShellAccess nor Hearth Cmd shows ads.

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