Bonsai³ vs Herdie
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Bonsai³
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Turn your everyday GitHub activity into a bonsai. Bonsai³ turns your GitHub activity into a small voxel tree. Connect your account and see your recent contribution history take shape in its branches and foliage. When new contributions sync, gentle rain waters your bonsai and fresh growth appears. Rotate and zoom your tree, or simply enjoy it beneath a sky that changes from morning to night. • Choose from Maple, Pine, Cherry, and Azalea, with eight pot styles. • Each bonsai reflects 90 days of activity. Revisit past bonsai to see how your activity has changed over time. • Turn your bonsai into a postcard and share it as an image. • Keep your tree on the Home Screen with widgets for iPhone and iPad. Start with a sample garden—no sign-in needed. Your bonsai and contribution history are handled on your device. No ads or tracking. Bonsai³ never receives your GitHub password. Bonsai³ is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by GitHub.
Herdie
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Herdie brings your Herdr sessions to iPhone and iPad. Connect directly to your Mac or Linux host over SSH, check what your agents are doing, and send the next command. Your remote session keeps running when you leave the app. A terminal built for your phone Read terminal output behind floating controls, open the keyboard when you need it, or use the writing sheet for longer messages. Switch between running agents without leaving your session. Your hosts, one place Save SSH connections and reconnect with a tap. Use password authentication, an OpenSSH private key, or SSH none authentication for compatible hosts such as Tailscale SSH. Herdie asks you to verify new host keys and flags changes. Direct connections Terminal traffic travels directly between your device and your host. Passwords and private keys are stored in iOS Keychain. There is no Herdie account, terminal relay, or analytics SDK. Make it yours Choose a terminal theme and font size, customize the keyboard shortcuts, and use light or dark appearance. Herdie is free and open source. It requires a reachable SSH host with Herdr installed. It does not include a hosted computer or an AI subscription.
Screenshots
Verdict
Bonsai³ and Herdie are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Bonsai³ | Herdie |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 8 days | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 18.0 | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 8 MB | 5 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Sakino Tomiura | Lucas Scariot |
In-app purchases
Bonsai³
No in-app purchases
Herdie
No in-app purchases









