Comparison

ShellPilot vs DeskBridge

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

Head to head
About

ShellPilot

Features
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Connect to any server from your iPhone or iPad, and keep the commands you run often ready to reuse. ShellPilot is a full SSH terminal built for developers, sysadmins, and anyone who manages a server, a VPS, or a Raspberry Pi on the go. SAVED SNIPPETS Keep the commands you run often โ€” restarts, log checks, deploy steps โ€” and run them in a tap on any saved server, instead of retyping them every time you connect. FULL TERMINAL A real terminal emulator with xterm-compatible rendering, not a cut-down text box. Works with tmux, vim, and anything else you run over SSH. SSH KEYS Generate or import Ed25519 and RSA keys. Keys stay on your device โ€” nothing is uploaded anywhere. SFTP FILE BROWSER Browse remote files next to your local storage over SFTP. Upload, download, rename and delete without leaving the app. MULTIPLE SERVERS Save connections for every server you manage. Switch between a VPS, a Raspberry Pi, or a Docker host in a tap. RECENT SESSIONS Jump back into a server you connected to recently, without hunting through a list. WORKS WELL FOR โ€ข Developers deploying and checking on servers โ€ข Sysadmins managing a VPS or home server โ€ข Raspberry Pi and homelab owners โ€ข Anyone who needs a real terminal without a laptop ABOUT THIS APP Your connections, keys and snippets stay on your device. No account, no cloud sync of credentials. PURCHASES โ€ข ShellPilot Pro โ€” one-time purchase โ€ข Payment is charged to your Apple Account at confirmation of purchase โ€ข One-time purchase โ€” no subscription and no renewals Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://cosmovex.web.app/apps/shellpilot/privacy-policy

About

DeskBridge

Features
Read full description

DeskBridge turns your iPhone or iPad into a remote desk for your Mac. See your Mac's screen live, move its mouse, type on its keyboard, manage windows, and sync the clipboard โ€” from the next room or across the world. Built for developers running long builds and AI coding agents, DeskBridge lets you keep an eye on a session's progress and step in the moment it needs you โ€” from the next room or across the world. FEATURES โ€ข Live screen โ€” watch your Mac's display in real time โ€ข Full control โ€” mouse, keyboard, shortcuts, media keys, clipboard sync โ€ข Window management โ€” switch between windows and maximize, minimize, or close them remotely โ€ข Made for AI coding โ€” glance at your coding agent's progress and nudge it along from the couch โ€ข Private & direct โ€” your screen and input travel peer-to-peer over an encrypted connection, directly between your own devices, and are never stored on a server HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the free DeskBridge host on your Mac (a separate, free Mac app) 2. Install DeskBridge on your iPhone or iPad 3. Sign in with the same Apple ID โ€” your devices pair automatically PRICING Free for 30 days. After that, a single one-time purchase keeps it yours โ€” no subscription. The Mac host is always free. PRIVACY No ads, no third-party tracking, no analytics SDKs. Your screen and input never pass through our servers; the signaling server only helps your two devices find each other. Questions? tiejun.hu@outlook.com

Screenshots

ShellPilot4 screens
DeskBridge4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: DeskBridge at every 2 weeks against ShellPilot's every 6 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. ShellPilot sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and DeskBridge sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ShellPilot ships an update every 6 months, DeskBridge every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 24, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference ยท 5 level
ShellPilot versus DeskBridge: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellPilotDeskBridge
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 6 monthsEvery 2 weeks โ€” better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod โ€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.0 โ€” better16.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size72 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSahana A STiejun Hu

In-app purchases

1 purchases

ShellPilot

One-time1
  • ShellPilot Pro$4.99
1 purchases

DeskBridge

One-time1
  • DeskBridge Pro$3.99

Questions

Is ShellPilot free?
ShellPilot is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is DeskBridge free?
DeskBridge is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do ShellPilot or DeskBridge have ads?
Neither ShellPilot nor DeskBridge shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ShellPilot or DeskBridge?
ShellPilot ships an update every 6 months, and DeskBridge every 2 weeks. Most recently, ShellPilot was updated on October 24, 2026 and DeskBridge on October 14, 2026.

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