Comparison

Kex vs TermIO

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — 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 — 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 café. Monitor your AI coding agent from the couch. With Kex, your entire server infrastructure fits in your pocket. WHO IS KEX FOR? · DevOps engineers who need to respond to incidents anytime, anywhere · Developers running AI coding agents like Claude Code, Codex, or Aider on remote servers · System administrators managing fleets of Linux servers · Cloud engineers working with AWS, GCP, DigitalOcean, Hetzner, and more · Homelab enthusiasts monitoring Raspberry Pi clusters and self-hosted services · Students learning Linux and server administration · 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 — 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 — 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 F1–F12. Auto-repeat on directional keys. Modifier key toggles. Every key a terminal user needs — 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 — 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+1–9 shortcuts. Switch sessions, open new connections, and navigate — 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 — 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 — but don't want to carry a laptop everywhere. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

TermIO

Features
Read full description

Your servers, wherever you are. TermIO brings SSH terminals, SFTP file management and practical server tools to iPhone and iPad. CONNECT AND WORK • Save and organize server profiles. • Connect with a password or an SSH private key. • Switch between terminal sessions. Broadcast input across sessions with Pro. • Use terminal search, command snippets and command history. • Choose terminal themes, font sizes and keyboard shortcuts. FILES AND NETWORKING • Browse, upload and download remote files with SFTP. • Edit UTF-8 text files up to 2 MB. • Set up local, remote and SOCKS port forwarding while your SSH session and the app remain active. • Connect through a jump host with ProxyJump. • Import host profiles from an SSH config file. KEYS AND SECURITY • Generate Ed25519 and ECDSA P-256 key pairs on your device with Pro. • Store credentials and private keys in iOS Keychain. • Install public keys on a server over SFTP with Pro. • Protect access to the app with Face ID or Touch ID. SERVER OVERVIEW (PRO) View server load, memory, storage and uptime from your terminal session. TERMIO PRO Free includes SSH, SFTP, private-key authentication and up to three saved hosts. Pro unlocks the SSH Key Vault, on-device key generation and import, one-tap public-key installation, the server metrics HUD, multi-tab broadcast and unlimited saved hosts. The saved-host limit also applies to SSH config imports and backup restores. Existing saved hosts and credentials are retained after a subscription expires. Choose a one-time Lifetime purchase or an auto-renewable Annual subscription. Prices are displayed in the app for your App Store region. Restore Purchases is available for existing purchases. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Additional Terms: https://mreser.com.tr/termio/terms Privacy Policy: https://mreser.com.tr/termio/privacy

Screenshots

Kex4 screens
TermIO4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is ads: TermIO at none against Kex's shown. Kex's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 3 weeks). On price, in-app purchases, device support and iOS requirement 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

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

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Kex ships an update every 2 days, TermIO every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 29, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard2 real differences · 6 level
Kex versus TermIO: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterKexTermIO
PriceFreeFree
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size27 MB11 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperAli Mert TUFEKCIMEHMET RECEP ESER

In-app purchases

3 purchases

Kex

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

TermIO

Subscriptions1
  • TermIO Pro Annual$4.991 Year
One-time1
  • TermIO Pro Lifetime$14.99

Questions

Is Kex free?
Kex is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is TermIO free?
TermIO is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do Kex or TermIO have ads?
Kex shows ads; TermIO does not.
Which is updated more often, Kex or TermIO?
Kex ships an update every 2 days, and TermIO every 3 weeks. Most recently, Kex was updated on October 17, 2026 and TermIO on October 29, 2026.

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