Comparison

Banana Code vs Helmrig Agents

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

Head to head
About

Banana Code

Read full description

Banana Code is a mobile AI coding agent. Pick a GitHub repo, describe the changes you want in plain English, choose any LLM model, and get a pull request with working code. All from your phone. HOW IT WORKS 1. Connect your GitHub account 2. Select a repository (public or private) 3. Type what you want changed ("Add error handling to the payment module") 4. Pick a model (ANY model!) 5. Watch the agent work in real time 6. Review the PR and merge when ready The agent clones your repo, creates a branch, makes changes across multiple files, and opens a pull request. Sessions run on a dedicated server, so you can close the app and come back later to get your PR. BRING YOUR OWN KEY Unlike tools that lock you into one model at $20+/month, Banana Code lets you use your own API key from OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI. Sign in with your ChatGPT subscription and use models you already pay for. The app is just $5/month. FEATURES - Any LLM model via OpenRouter (hundreds of options with live pricing) - Real-time streaming so you can watch the agent think and code - Full GitHub integration: clone, branch, commit, push, and PR creation - Attach screenshots to give the agent visual context - Session history with full conversation logs - Supabase integration (beta): run SQL, inspect schemas, write migrations - Dark theme with zero distractions YOUR CODE STAYS YOURS Repos are cloned to a temporary workspace and deleted after each session. API keys are encrypted at rest using device-level secure storage. You can revoke GitHub access or delete your account and all data at any time from Settings. AI-generated code should always be reviewed before merging. Banana Code is a tool for developers, not a replacement for code review. REQUIREMENTS - GitHub account (free) - API key from OpenRouter, Anthropic, or OpenAI (pay-per-use, typically pennies per session) - Internet connection required SUBSCRIPTION - $5/month after a 3-day free trial - Cancel anytime from Settings or your Apple ID subscriptions - Payment charged to Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase - Subscription auto-renews unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period Privacy Policy: https://bananacode.ai/privacy Terms of Service: https://bananacode.ai/terms

About

Helmrig Agents

Features
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Helmrig is a remote development client for iPhone. It pairs with helmrig-server running on your own laptop and gives you the AI coding agents, terminal, and filesystem of that machine โ€” over an end-to-end encrypted tunnel. FEATURES โ€ข AI coding agents โ€” run Claude Code or Codex on your laptop. Tell the agent what to do in plain language; it reads files, runs commands, and edits code on your machine. The app shows the output, diffs of any proposed changes, and approval prompts before anything is applied. You bring your own subscription or API keys; Helmrig doesn't sell or proxy AI access. โ€ข Attach files โ€” pull any file from your laptop into the agent conversation in one tap, so the agent has exactly the context it needs. โ€ข Terminal โ€” full PTY shell on your laptop with ANSI colors and resize. Use whatever you've installed: bash, zsh, fish, tmux, vim, nano, htop. โ€ข Files โ€” browse and view the laptop filesystem with syntax highlighting for common languages. โ€ข Multi-project โ€” switch between active projects in one tap; each project keeps its own terminal session and AI thread. HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the server on your laptop: npx helmrig@latest 2. Open Helmrig on iPhone, scan the QR code shown in the server. 3. The pairing key is generated locally on your devices and never leaves them. After pairing, phone and laptop talk directly over LAN or NAT-traversal when possible. When direct connection fails, the encrypted tunnel falls back through one of our regional relays. Relays forward opaque ciphertext only โ€” they cannot decrypt anything. REQUIREMENTS โ€ข Laptop: macOS or Linux with Node.js 20+ โ€ข iPhone: iOS 17+ PRIVACY No third-party SDKs. No analytics. No crash reporting. Helmrig servers never see code, files, terminal output, or AI conversations. Full policy at helmrig.app/privacy.html CONTACT hi@helmrig.dev Privacy Policy: https://www.helmrig.app/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.helmrig.app/terms.html

Screenshots

Banana Code4 screens
Helmrig Agents4 screens

Verdict

The call

Banana Code and Helmrig Agents are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters โ€” price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them โ€” neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Banana Code sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per month and Helmrig Agents sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $12.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Banana Code versus Helmrig Agents: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBanana CodeHelmrig Agents
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyโ€”Fortnightly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPod
Requires iOS15.115.1
Further details โ€” not scored
Size28 MB65 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMatthew JohnstonNikita Kislitsin

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Banana Code

Subscriptions1
  • Banana Code Pro Monthly3 Days trial$4.991 Month
1 purchases

Helmrig Agents

Subscriptions1
  • Helmrig Pro14 Days trial$12.991 Month

Questions

Is Banana Code free?
Banana Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Helmrig Agents free?
Helmrig Agents is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Banana Code or Helmrig Agents have ads?
Neither Banana Code nor Helmrig Agents shows ads.

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