Comparison

Hey Terminal vs Terminalko

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

Head to head
About

Hey Terminal

Access your work computer remotely from your iPad or iPhone using SSH. This keyboard-first terminal allows you to run commands, edit files, and manage projects on your remote machine.

Highlights
  • Remote SSH connection
  • Keyboard-first interface
  • Tabbed connections
  • Password and SSH key authentication
  • Local terminal for basic commands
  • iPhone and iPad support
Features
Read full description

Your work machine, from your iPad. Your work computer can stay at home or in the office. Connect to it over SSH with Hey Terminal, open Codex or Claude Code there, and continue working on your project from your iPad. A keyboard-first terminal for iPad Use a physical keyboard to enter prompts and run commands. Review your project with your remote CLI, edit files with vim, or work in tmux when those tools are available on your computer. Keep different connections in separate tabs. Create a tab with Command-T, close it with Command-W, and switch with Command-1 through Command-9. Quick remote work on iPhone When your computer isn't with you, connect for a short command, check a project file, or send a follow-up request to your remote CLI. SSH and a local terminal Connect with an SSH command or a configured host alias. Authenticate with a password or SSH key. Use the local terminal for basic file commands and SSH key generation. Before you connect You need a computer or server with SSH enabled that you can reach from your device. Remote tools run on that machine, not inside Hey Terminal. Install and configure the tools you want to use there, with any required accounts. Your remote machine must be powered on and accessible. No app account or subscription required.

About

Terminalko

Connect to remote servers like VPS, Raspberry Pi, or Linux boxes directly from your iPhone or iPad. This app provides a real terminal experience with advanced features for managing connections and executing commands securely.

Highlights
  • Connect to VPS, Raspberry Pi, Linux
  • xterm-256color PTY with ANSI colors
  • Password or key authentication
  • Jump hosts support
  • Command snippets
  • Auto-reconnect for dropped sessions
  • Multiple parallel sessions
Features
Read full description

Terminalko is a fast, focused SSH terminal for iPhone and iPad. Connect to your VPS, Raspberry Pi or any Linux box, run a real shell, get work done without a laptop. Add a server and you are at a prompt in a minute. [ A real terminal ] A true xterm-256color PTY with ANSI colors, scrollback and a keyboard aware layout. htop, vim and tmux behave exactly like they should. [ SSH, Mosh and Telnet ] SSH with password or key auth, jump hosts through a bastion in one hop. Mosh survives Wi-Fi to cellular switches, IP changes and long sleeps. Your prompt is still there hours later. Telnet for legacy gear: switches, routers, the odd BBS. [ Edit files over SFTP ] Open the config, fix the wrong line, save it back in place. Sizes, permissions and dates on every row. Upload, download, rename, delete, new folder. [ SSH keys, Secure Enclave included ] Generate an Ed25519 key on device and copy its authorized_keys line, ready to deploy. Paste an existing OpenSSH key. Or make one in the Secure Enclave, where the private half cannot leave the chip. A different key per server. Secrets live in the iOS Keychain. [ Dropped connections reconnect ] Connection Keeper retries a dropped session with a visible overlay and a cancel button. Lock the phone, tmux keeps working server side, the session re-attaches when you return. [ Themes and fonts ] Fifteen built in themes, plus an editor for your own: all 16 ANSI slots, text, background, cursor and selection, live preview. Twenty monospace faces bundled, nothing to download. [ Maximum Privacy and Security ] No tracking, no ads, no spying. Face ID, Touch ID, Optic ID or your passcode, with a grace period you choose, and masks it in the app switcher. No analytics, no ads, no accounts, no telemetry. The app talks to your servers and to nothing else. [ Our mission ] Make the best terminal and SFTP app there is. Every version came from someone saying what was missing. If something is missing for you, say so. [ Requirements ] iOS or iPadOS 17 or later. Built for developers, sysadmins and homelab tinkerers. Check a server from the couch, SSH into a Pi from bed, restart a service from the train. Terms of Use: https://terminalko.com/terms/

Screenshots

Hey Terminal4 screens
Terminalko4 screens

Verdict

The call

Hey Terminal and Terminalko both sit at 5.0 stars, but that hides the real split: 100% of Terminalko's written reviews are positive against 0% of Hey Terminal's. Hey Terminal's advantage is price (Free vs $4.99) and in-app purchases (none vs 2). On rating, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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

Hey Terminal is free to download; Terminalko costs $4.99 up front. Terminalko sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Hey Terminal asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Hey Terminal against 5.0 for Terminalko. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 2 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 0% of Hey Terminal's written reviews are positive against 100% of Terminalko's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Hey Terminal ships an update weekly, Terminalko every 4 days. The most recent releases landed on November 9, 2026 and November 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
Hey Terminal versus Terminalko: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterHey TerminalTerminalko
PriceFree — better$4.99
Rating5.0 (1 ratings)5.0 (2 ratings)
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings12 — better
Update frequencyWeeklyEvery 4 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.617.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size14 MB22 MB
Age rating9+4+
DeveloperJONGMIN CHOIBEGRIP

Customer experience

Hey Terminal

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Terminalko

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Hey Terminal

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

Terminalko

Subscriptions1
  • Terminalko Monthly$2.991 Month
One-time1
  • Terminalko Pro$6.99

Questions

Is Hey Terminal free?
Hey Terminal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Terminalko free?
Terminalko costs $4.99, and also offers in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Hey Terminal or Terminalko?
Hey Terminal and Terminalko are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 1 and 2 ratings respectively.
Do Hey Terminal or Terminalko have ads?
Neither Hey Terminal nor Terminalko shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Hey Terminal or Terminalko?
Hey Terminal ships an update weekly, and Terminalko every 4 days. Most recently, Hey Terminal was updated on November 9, 2026 and Terminalko on November 5, 2026.

Other comparisons