Comparison

Kex vs Tmux Term

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

Tmux Term

Features
Read full description

Tmux Term turns your iPhone into a real terminal. SSH into your servers, attach to tmux sessions that never die, and run AI coding agents โ€” from the train, the couch, or anywhere your laptop isn't. Built for developers who don't stop working when they leave the desk. โ€” SECURE BY DESIGN โ€” Password and private-key auth (ed25519, RSA). Host keys are pinned on first connect to stop man-in-the-middle attacks. Every credential lives in the iOS Keychain and never leaves your device. No accounts on our servers, no telemetry on your sessions. โ€” TMUX THAT SURVIVES ANYTHING โ€” Attach to long-running sessions, switch windows, and scroll back through history. Drop a connection in a tunnel? Tmux Term reconnects and reattaches the moment you're back โ€” your work is exactly where you left it. โ€” AI CLI, ONE TAP AWAY โ€” Launch Claude Code, Codex, Gemini, OpenCode, or Nmap instantly and resume sessions where you stopped. The remote agents you already use, now driven from your phone. โ€” SEND SCREENSHOTS STRAIGHT TO CLAUDE โ€” Upload images over SFTP directly into your Claude Code conversation. No clipboard tricks, no base64 paste โ€” just pick a photo and go. โ€” A KEYBOARD THAT ACTUALLY WORKS ON MOBILE โ€” Ctrl, Esc, Tab, arrows, function keys, the tmux prefix, one-tap password injection, and custom snippets โ€” all sitting right above the iOS keyboard, where your thumbs can reach them. โ€” GESTURES MADE FOR A PHONE โ€” Two-finger scroll through terminal history. Side buttons for tmux copy-mode. Toggle mouse mode with a single tap. This isn't a desktop client squeezed onto a screen โ€” it's designed for the device in your hand. โ€” ONE PRICE, FOREVER โ€” Try everything free for 7 days. Then unlock it all with a single purchase. No subscriptions, no upsells, no ads. Future updates included. Tmux Term is a purpose-built SSH and tmux client. You'll need a server you own or have permission to access.

Screenshots

Kex4 screens
Tmux Term4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tmux Term at none against Kex's 3. Tmux Term also leads on ads (none vs shown) and chart position (#145 vs unranked). On price, update cadence, 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. Tmux Term asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on August 19, 2026 and September 20, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences ยท 6 level
Kex versus Tmux Term: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKexTmux Term
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviewsโ€”
Update frequencyEvery 2 daysEvery 2 days
AdsYesNo โ€” better
In-app purchasesYesNo โ€” better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesโ€”
Best chart rankโ€”#145 โ€” better
DevicesiPhone, iPad โ€” betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details โ€” not scored
Size27 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAli Mert TUFEKCIErdinc Curebal

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Kex

Subscriptions3
  • Weekly Plan$4.997 Days
  • Monthly Plan$9.991 Month
  • Yearly Plan$29.991 Year
None

Tmux Term

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Kex free?
Kex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Tmux Term free?
Tmux Term is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Kex or Tmux Term have ads?
Kex shows ads; Tmux Term does not.
Which is updated more often, Kex or Tmux Term?
Kex ships an update every 2 days, and Tmux Term every 2 days. Most recently, Kex was updated on August 19, 2026 and Tmux Term on September 20, 2026.

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