Comparison

Kex vs Shelify SSH Remote Connect

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

Head to head
About

Kex

This app provides a full xterm-256color terminal emulator for iOS, allowing users to connect to servers via SSH, Mosh, and Telnet. It includes SFTP file management, multiple session support, and a specialized keyboard for efficient remote server access and administration.

Highlights
  • Full xterm-256color terminal emulation
  • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet protocol support
  • Built-in SFTP file manager
  • Multiple simultaneous terminal sessions
  • Purpose-built terminal keyboard accessory
  • Extensive customization options (themes, fonts, cursor)
  • Hardware keyboard support with shortcuts
Features
Read full description

A desktop-grade SSH terminal emulator built for iOS. Kex is not a simplified command runner โ€” it's a full xterm-256color terminal that runs vim, htop, nano, and everything you expect from a real terminal. Leave your laptop behind. Restart a crashed service from the beach. Check your CI pipeline at the airport. SSH into production from a cafรฉ. Monitor your AI coding agent from the couch. With Kex, your entire server infrastructure fits in your pocket. WHO IS KEX FOR? ยท DevOps engineers who need to respond to incidents anytime, anywhere ยท Developers running AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, or Aider on remote servers ยท System administrators managing fleets of Linux servers ยท Cloud engineers working with AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, and more ยท Homelab enthusiasts monitoring Raspberry Pi clusters and self-hosted services ยท Students learning Linux and server administration ยท Anyone who has ever thought "I wish I had a terminal right now" REAL TERMINAL EMULATION Full xterm-256color support with CSI, ESC, OSC, and SGR sequences. Alternate screen buffer for full-screen apps like vim, nano, top, and htop. 256-color and TrueColor rendering. SSH, MOSH & TELNET Connect to any server with SSH. Authenticate with password or SSH keys (Ed25519 and RSA). Mosh support keeps your session alive through Wi-Fi switches, cellular handoffs, and unstable hotel networks. Telnet for legacy systems and network equipment. All protocols, one app. BUILT-IN SFTP FILE MANAGER Browse, upload, download, and manage files on your remote servers. Create folders, rename, delete โ€” all from an intuitive file browser. Pull a log file, push a config change, or grab a backup. No need for a separate SFTP app. MULTIPLE SESSIONS Run multiple terminal sessions simultaneously. Switch between them with a tap or with keyboard shortcuts. Each session maintains its own independent state โ€” monitor production on one tab, debug staging on another. Manage all your servers from one place. TERMINAL KEYBOARD DONE RIGHT A purpose-built keyboard accessory bar with ESC, Ctrl, Alt, Tab, arrow keys, and F1โ€“F12. Auto-repeat on directional keys. Modifier key toggles. Every key a terminal user needs โ€” designed for real work, not bolted on as an afterthought. CUSTOMIZE EVERYTHING 10+ built-in terminal themes including Dracula, Nord, Solarized, Monokai, Gruvbox, Tokyo Night, One Dark, GitHub Dark, and more. Choose your monospace font and size. Pick your cursor style โ€” block, underline, or beam with optional blink. Make it yours. iPAD POWER USER Full hardware keyboard support with Cmd+N, Cmd+W, Cmd+T, and Cmd+1โ€“9 shortcuts. Switch sessions, open new connections, and navigate โ€” all without touching the screen. Pair with a keyboard and your iPad becomes a proper workstation. SECURITY FIRST SSH keys and credentials stored in the iOS Keychain โ€” encrypted on your device, never in the cloud. Ed25519 and RSA key support. Host key verification with SHA-256 fingerprints. Organize keys into groups, see which connections use each key. All connections encrypted end-to-end. STAY CONNECTED Configurable keep-alive to prevent session drops. Detailed connection logs for troubleshooting. Save and organize your servers into groups with one-tap access. Host key memory so you connect with confidence every time. Kex is built for people who take their work seriously โ€” but don't want to carry a laptop everywhere. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Shelify SSH Remote Connect

Features
Read full description

Your servers, one tap away. Shelify is a fast, no-nonsense SSH client for your phone. Connect to a server, run what you need, and get on with your day โ€” no account, no cloud sync, no setup ritual. SSH IN SECONDS Save a host once and reconnect with a single tap. Password and private key authentication, custom ports, and standard SSH options โ€” all in a form that takes under a minute to fill in. A REAL TERMINAL Full-screen terminal with proper key handling, an extra key row for Ctrl, Tab, Esc and arrows, and pinch-to-zoom text sizing. Colors, cursor and control sequences behave the way you expect them to. SNIPPETS AND SAVED COMMANDS Store the commands you type over and over โ€” deployments, log tails, service restarts โ€” and run them in one tap instead of retyping them on a phone keyboard. MULTIPLE SESSIONS Keep several servers open at the same time and switch between them without dropping a connection. KEYS STAY ON YOUR DEVICE Private keys, passwords and host details are stored in the device keychain. Nothing is uploaded, nothing is synced to a server we control. WORKS WHEN YOU NEED IT Import an existing key, generate a new one, or paste one in. Connection details are yours to export and back up whenever you want. NO ACCOUNT REQUIRED No sign-up, no email, no profile. Install the app and connect. Shelify is built for people who administer servers and want a terminal in their pocket that doesn't get in the way. Shelify is free to use. Some features are available with Premium. โ€” Premium is an auto-renewable subscription. It renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the current period ends. Manage or cancel in your Apple Account settings. Shelify SSH Remote Connect is a terminal client. It does not provide server administration advice, and you are responsible for the commands you run on your own systems. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://shelify.com/privacy/ App Terms: https://shelify.com/terms/

Screenshots

Kex4 screens
Shelify SSH Remote Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: Shelify SSH Remote Connect at none against Kex's shown. Kex's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs monthly). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

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

CostPrice ยท In-app purchases ยท Ads ยท Monetization

Both are free to download. Kex sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Shelify SSH Remote Connect sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kex ships an update every 2 days, Shelify SSH Remote Connect monthly. The most recent releases landed on August 19, 2026 and September 17, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences ยท 6 level
Kex versus Shelify SSH Remote Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKexShelify SSH Remote Connect
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 2 days โ€” betterMonthly
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesโ€”
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.016.0 โ€” better
Further details โ€” not scored
Size27 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAli Mert TUFEKCISELECTA LAB LLC

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Kex

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year
2 purchases

Shelify SSH Remote Connect

Subscriptions2
  • Saved Hosts & Sessions - Month$1.991 Month
  • Snippets & Commands - Yearly$8.991 Year

Questions

Is Kex free?
Kex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Shelify SSH Remote Connect free?
Shelify SSH Remote Connect is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Kex or Shelify SSH Remote Connect have ads?
Kex shows ads; Shelify SSH Remote Connect does not.
Which is updated more often, Kex or Shelify SSH Remote Connect?
Kex ships an update every 2 days, and Shelify SSH Remote Connect monthly. Most recently, Kex was updated on August 19, 2026 and Shelify SSH Remote Connect on September 17, 2026.

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