# Cortex Relay vs Hermit SSH

The clearest difference is rating: Hermit SSH at 5.0 against Cortex Relay's 4.0. Hermit SSH also leads on update cadence (monthly vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ratings volume and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Hermit SSH holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Cortex Relay ships an update every 2 months, Hermit SSH monthly. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 28, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Cortex Relay | Hermit SSH |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-relay-ai-terminal/id6760609626/reviews) | **[5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hermit-ssh/id6760623047/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 1 | **2** |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Monthly** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 14 MB | 9 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Maksim Mikheev](https://appshunter.io/developer/1877966538) | [Dave Stanton](https://appshunter.io/developer/1885373535) |

## What reviewers say

### Cortex Relay

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cortex-relay-ai-terminal/id6760609626)

Access powerful AI agents like Claude Code from your iPhone via a chat interface or a full SSH terminal. Features include on-device voice input, persistent sessions, and secure credential management. Customize your terminal experience with various themes and font sizes.

**Highlights:** AI agent chat interface, Full SSH terminal access, On-device voice input, Persistent tmux sessions, Secure SSH key management, Customizable terminal themes

**In-app purchases:** none


### Hermit SSH

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/hermit-ssh/id6760623047)

A focused SSH client for developers interacting with AI coding assistants on remote machines. Connect to your dev server, manage tmux sessions, and use configurable soft keys and voice input for efficient command execution.

**Highlights:** SSH connections with ed25519 private key authentication, Automatic tmux session attach, Configurable soft key ribbon bar, Voice input with iOS dictation, xterm.js terminal rendering, iCloud Drive sync, Private keys stored securely in iOS Keychain

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Cortex Relay free?

Cortex Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is Hermit SSH free?

Hermit SSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, Cortex Relay or Hermit SSH?

Hermit SSH is rated higher. Cortex Relay averages 4.0 out of 5 from 1 ratings, while Hermit SSH averages 5.0 from 2 ratings.

### Do Cortex Relay or Hermit SSH have ads?

Neither Cortex Relay nor Hermit SSH shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Cortex Relay or Hermit SSH?

Cortex Relay ships an update every 2 months, and Hermit SSH monthly. Most recently, Cortex Relay was updated on October 5, 2026 and Hermit SSH on October 28, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*