Comparison

Orbiter Dev vs Helmrig Shell

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

Head to head
About

Orbiter Dev

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Orbiter Dev is a mobile air traffic controller for developers working with single or multiple AI coding agents and IDEs. When an agent wants to run a command, change files, or perform a sensitive action, Orbiter Dev helps you review the request from anywhere using your iPhone or iPad before work continues. It is built for developers who want faster agent workflows without losing human control over risky actions. Key features: - Review approval events from your phone or tablet - Inspect action details, risk level, workspace, and agent source - Approve or reject requests with a clear audit trail - Use Face ID secure action for sensitive approval decisions - Tune Risk Rules to suit your appetite or reduce routine approval noise - View recent approvals & details and actions logged - Pair supported desktop coding environments and agent integrations - Manage & restore Pro subscriptions with StoreKit across devices Orbiter Dev is designed as a companion app for modern developer workflows. It does not replace code review, testing, backups, access control, or deployment safeguards. You remain responsible for reviewing agent actions before allowing them to pursue or block work. Free includes a limited approval workflow. Pro unlocks advanced approval controls for professional use, including unlimited approvals, Face ID approval gates, Risk Rules, and Priority Sync. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Helmrig Shell

Features
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The terminal from your desk, now on iPhone and iPad. Helmrig Shell is a native terminal β€” btop, tmux, vim, true color, ligatures, full escape-sequence support, rendered natively. Not a web view, not a cut-down mobile shell. A real desktop terminal that feels like the one you already use. Your sessions run on your own Mac or server. The iPad or iPhone is just the window β€” so they never drop. Lock the screen, lose signal, switch to another app, come back hours later: every tab, every running process, your full scrollback, exactly where you left it. No reconnect dance, no lost output. Drop a file onto the terminal and it uploads to your machine, with the full path dropped straight into your command line. Hand a screenshot to a CLI tool, attach a file to a running command β€” it just works, as if the file were already there. Built on libghostty for the rendering you'd expect from a desktop terminal. Hardware keyboard shortcuts, split panes, tabs that name themselves after what's running. Designed for iPad first, not ported from somewhere else. Works anywhere over an end-to-end encrypted connection β€” at your desk, on the couch, or across the world. Not limited to your local network. Helmrig Shell requires a subscription to use. A free trial is available, after which continued access requires Helmrig Shell Pro at $8.99/month. Payment is charged to your Apple Account. The subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Manage or cancel anytime in your Apple Account settings. WHAT IT IS A window into your own machine. Your shell, your tools, your environment β€” running where they always have, now reachable from your iPad. WHAT IT NEEDS A Mac or Linux machine you control, running the Helmrig server. Setup takes one command. PRIVACY No third-party SDKs. No analytics. No crash reporting. Helmrig Shell servers never see terminal output. Full policy at helmrig.app/shell-privacy.html CONTACT hi@helmrig.app Support Link: https://helmrig.app/support Privacy Policy: https://helmrig.app/shell-privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://helmrig.app/shell-terms.html

Screenshots

Orbiter Dev4 screens
Helmrig Shell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Helmrig Shell at none against Orbiter Dev's 2. Orbiter Dev's advantage is iOS requirement (17.0 vs 26.0). On price, ads and device support there is nothing between them.

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

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

Both are free to download. Orbiter Dev sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $19.99 per month. Helmrig Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Orbiter Dev versus Helmrig Shell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterOrbiter DevHelmrig Shell
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 2 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo β€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.0 β€” better26.0
Further details β€” not scored
Size6 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperRISHIOM SHAHNikita Kislitsin

In-app purchases

2 purchases

Orbiter Dev

Subscriptions2
  • Orbiter Pro β€” Monthly$19.991 Month
  • Orbiter Pro β€” Annual$219.991 Year
None

Helmrig Shell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Orbiter Dev free?
Orbiter Dev is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Helmrig Shell free?
Helmrig Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Orbiter Dev or Helmrig Shell have ads?
Neither Orbiter Dev nor Helmrig Shell shows ads.

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