Comparison

Shell Drop vs Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI

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

Head to head
About

Shell Drop

A native terminal app for iOS devices that allows users to run AI agents via SSH. It supports image and file uploads, tmux integration, and voice input for commands. Secure SSH key authentication and iCloud sync are included.

Highlights
  • Run AI agents via SSH
  • Image and file uploads
  • Tmux session management
  • Voice input for commands
  • SSH key authentication
  • iCloud sync for connections
Features
Read full description

ShellDrop is a fast, native terminal for iPhone, iPad and iPhone Duo, built for running AI agents: Claude Code, Codex, Grok, Hermes, OpenClaw, opencode, anything that lives in tmux on a Mac mini, VPS or any box you can SSH into. WORK WITH YOUR AGENTS - Paste images straight into a session. Copy a screenshot from any app, paste it in the terminal, and your agent reads it. - Attach files too. Tap the paperclip in the toolbar to pick a file from Files, or a photo or video from your library, and it uploads to the server for your agent to read. - You choose the upload size limit. Settings goes from 100 MB to 1 GB, and if a file is over, ShellDrop offers to raise it on the spot. - Tmux aware. Vertical swipe scrolls history, horizontal swipe switches sessions. - Tab names sync with the real tmux session names automatically. - Sessions stay alive in the background while you switch apps. - Agent to clipboard. Ask your agent to write an email, say "copy that to my clipboard", and it lands on your phone ready to paste into your mail app. - Droplet Visualizer: the feature nobody asked for. See all your sessions from the perspective of an Egyptian god. BUILT LIKE A REAL TERMINAL - SSH key authentication. Generate Ed25519 keys or hardware-backed Secure Enclave keys in-app, where the private key never leaves the chip. - Paste-import your existing OpenSSH keys. - The keyboard toolbar is yours. Tap and hold to rearrange the keys you use most, and create your own custom Tmux key bindings. - Sticky ctrl for all of your perverted tmux activities. - Text selection with a dedicated selection mode, long-press word select, and one-tap links. - Nerd Fonts. FiraCode and JetBrains Mono render the glyphs nvim and LazyVim need. - Full screen mode for extra real estate. - Full iPad support including 13" iPad Pro, plus hardware keyboards. - iCloud sync keeps saved connections on every device, and you can switch it off in Settings any time. Private keys stay on your device by design. NO SUBSCRIPTION Every feature included. VOICE DROP Tap the mic on the keyboard toolbar and talk. Your words drop into the prompt at the cursor. Transcription runs on-device with Apple speech, or through your own Groq API key for whisper-large-v3-turbo. Nothing sends until you hit return. Prefer a dictation keyboard like Wispr Flow? Works great here too. PRIVACY Credentials live in the iOS keychain on your device. There is no account, and no telemetry or analytics are collected. Terminal traffic goes to your servers over SSH and nowhere else. Built by an indie developer who runs AI agents every day.

About

Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI

Features
Read full description

Mobile IDE for Claude Code lets you control Claude Code on your Mac from your iPhone. Send prompts, watch the agent work, and ship code while you're away from the desk. WHY THIS APP Claude Code is a powerful agentic coding tool — but until now, you had to be at your computer to use it. Mobile IDE lifts that constraint. Connect your Mac, send a prompt from your phone, and Claude writes, edits, and runs code in your project — wherever you are. WHAT YOU GET - Real-time control. Send prompts to your Mac's Claude Code session and see the agent's response on your iPhone. - Every Claude model. Pick Opus, Sonnet, or Haiku per task with one tap. Switch on the fly when you need speed or depth. - Prompt Book. A curated library of prompts for code review, refactoring, architecture decisions, design patterns, and more. - Agentic Coding. Not just chat — Claude reads your files, writes new ones, runs commands, and iterates until the task is done. - No API keys. No CLI configuration on the phone. Pair your Mac once, then it just works. - Voice input. Dictate your prompts when typing on a small screen isn't ideal. - Unlimited prompts on subscription. No per-message fees, no token meters. GETTING STARTED 1. Open the app on your iPhone. 2. Run the setup helper on your Mac (link inside the app). 3. Pair your devices in seconds. PRIVACY Your code and prompts go between your iPhone and your Mac. We don't store or read the contents of your sessions on our servers. SUBSCRIPTION Try free messages first. When you're ready for unlimited use, upgrade to monthly or yearly — cancel anytime in Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions. DISCLAIMER Mobile IDE for Claude Code is an independent, third-party client. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Anthropic. "Claude" and "Claude Code" are trademarks of their respective owners; we reference them only to describe what this app integrates with. For support: support@luch.dev Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://experts-draw-9pm.craft.me/TzOVehihMJTkKd

Screenshots

Shell Drop4 screens
Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Shell Drop at none against Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI's 2. Shell Drop also leads on chart position (#148 vs unranked). On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $11.99 per month. Shell Drop asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences · 9 level
Shell Drop versus Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShell DropMobile IDE for Claude Code AI
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (3 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings3 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 9 days—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree—
Best chart rank#148 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 — better18.6
Further details — not scored
Size16 MB15 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperDaniel BilsboroughUladzsislau Luchkouski

In-app purchases

None

Shell Drop

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Access$11.991 Month
  • Yearly Access$114.991 Year

Questions

Is Shell Drop free?
Shell Drop is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI free?
Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Shell Drop or Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI have ads?
Neither Shell Drop nor Mobile IDE for Claude Code AI shows ads.

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