Comparison

Pulse for Mac vs NanoTerm

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

Head to head
About

Pulse for Mac

Features
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Monitor your Mac's system performance in real-time from your iPhone. Pulse for Mac displays CPU usage, GPU usage, temperatures, memory pressure, battery level, and fan speed — all streamed live over your local Wi-Fi network. Features: • Real-time CPU & GPU usage with temperature • Memory usage and pressure indicator • Battery level and charging status • Fan speed monitoring • Auto-discovery via Bonjour • Portrait and landscape layouts • Keep Screen On option for desk display Requirements: • MacPulse Server running on your Mac (free download at GitHub) • iPhone and Mac on the same Wi-Fi network

About

NanoTerm

Features
Read full description

NanoTerm is a fast, native SSH client and terminal for iPhone and iPad, built for developers and system administrators who manage remote servers on the go. Connect over SSH, transfer files with SFTP, keep an eye on your servers, and manage Docker containers — all from a clean, native interface with strong security built in. TERMINAL & SSH • Native SSH terminal with full keyboard support, customizable themes and fonts • Command history and autocomplete • Organize hosts into groups, with automatic OS detection • Connect through jump hosts (bastion) and SOCKS5 / HTTP proxies AUTHENTICATION & SECURITY • Password and SSH key authentication (Ed25519, RSA) • Generate hardware-backed keys in the Secure Enclave, protected by Face ID / Touch ID • Host key verification (trust on first use) with an alert when a server's key changes • Lock the app with Face ID or a PIN • Optional post-quantum key exchange FILES (SFTP) • Browse the remote file system • Upload, download, rename and delete files, and create folders SERVER MONITORING • Real-time CPU, memory, network and disk metrics • Daily and monthly network traffic usage • Availability of some metrics depends on the server's environment DOCKER • View running containers and their stats • Start, stop, restart and remove containers • Quick deploy SNIPPETS • Save and reuse your common commands FILES APP INTEGRATION • Your servers become locations in the system Files app • Browse remote directories and open files in place • Edit and save straight back to the server • Upload, rename, move, delete, and create folders • Works with password and ED25519 key auth — proxy and jump-chain hosts included • Reach any server file from any app's document picker • Choose which hosts appear, per host SYNC & PRIVACY • Optional iCloud sync for your hosts, snippets and known hosts across devices • Credentials are stored in the device keychain • Universal app for iPhone and iPad NanoTerm keeps the essentials fast and the interface clean, so you can reach your servers in seconds.

Screenshots

Pulse for Mac1 screens
NanoTerm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pulse for Mac at none against NanoTerm's 1. Pulse for Mac also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 days). NanoTerm's advantage is device support (3 vs 1). On price, ads and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. NanoTerm sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pulse for Mac asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Pulse for Mac ships an update daily, NanoTerm every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 28, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
Pulse for Mac versus NanoTerm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPulse for MacNanoTerm
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyDaily — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size0 MB41 MB
Age rating4++4
DeveloperInGyu Rho恒俭 č‘£

In-app purchases

None

Pulse for Mac

No in-app purchases

1 purchases

NanoTerm

One-time1
  • NanoTerm Pro$8.99

Questions

Is Pulse for Mac free?
Pulse for Mac is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is NanoTerm free?
NanoTerm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Pulse for Mac or NanoTerm have ads?
Neither Pulse for Mac nor NanoTerm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Pulse for Mac or NanoTerm?
Pulse for Mac ships an update daily, and NanoTerm every 5 days. Most recently, Pulse for Mac was updated on October 28, 2026 and NanoTerm on November 6, 2026.

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