PyNotebook vs Clayshell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
PyNotebook
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PyNotebook runs Python and Jupyter (IPython) notebooks inside your iPhone. Open an .ipynb file, edit the cells, press Run, and the output appears under each cell the way it does on a desktop. THREE PLACES TO RUN YOUR CODE Local Python runs on the device itself, using a Python interpreter compiled to WebAssembly and bundled in the app. On-device Linux runs your code using your own Linux Emulator app, which gives you close to a real CPython shell on the phone. Remote SSH runs it on your own Mac, PC, Raspberry Pi, or Linux server. The phone stays the editor and the other machine does the work. The kernel chip in the toolbar switches between them. PACKAGES Write "!pip install pandas" in a cell to install a pure-Python package from PyPI. numpy, pandas and matplotlib download on first import and stay cached afterwards. iSH and Remote SSH run standard CPython, so pip there installs anything it can build, including packages with native code. CHARTS AND MATH matplotlib figures appear inline as images. Tap one to zoom. Markdown cells render LaTeX. EDITING Python syntax highlighting with indentation guides, and a Backspace that removes a whole indent level. Long-press a cell, or tap the More button, to run, copy, duplicate, move, or delete it. Drag a cell by its index pill to reorder it. FILES Opens .ipynb, .py, .md and .zip. A ZIP or folder of notebooks and their images imports as one project. Any notebook exports to the Files app as a .ipynb or as a plain .py script. Edits save as you type, so there is no save button to remember. PRIVACY The app collects nothing and has no analytics.
Clayshell
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Clayshell is an SSH client and server manager for people who run their own servers. Add a server once, then do the daily work without leaving the app. NEW IN 1.1 ⢠Test connection: check the address, user and key before you save a server. If it fails, Clayshell says why: the name was not found, nothing is listening on that port, no answer, not an SSH server, or the key needs its passphrase. ⢠On the Mac, Clayshell is now a desktop: Terminal, Files, Monitor and PM2 open as windows inside it, with a dock and a top bar that shows the server you are working on. Press Command-K to switch servers. Liquid Glass on macOS 26. ⢠Files: choose several files and folders at once, download several in one go, and delete a folder with everything inside it. Clayshell refuses to delete the root, top-level system folders and your home folder. TERMINAL A real terminal with full colour, in tabs. Your own shell, as many sessions as you need. FILES Browse the server over SFTP. Upload, download, rename, delete, make files and folders, and preview text files. EDITOR WITH A BACKUP Open a file on the server, edit it and save. Before every save the previous version is kept next to it as a .bak file, and one tap puts it back. If the file changed on the server while you were editing, Clayshell tells you instead of overwriting it. MONITOR CPU, memory, disk, load, uptime and the busiest processes, live, for Linux servers. PM2 See your PM2 processes, start, stop and restart them, and follow their logs. ALERTS Be told when a disk fills up, when CPU or memory stays high, when a PM2 process goes down, or when a server cannot be reached. On the Mac, Clayshell can watch your servers from the menu bar. A small script can also be installed on the server itself, so alerts reach Telegram, ntfy or a webhook even when your devices are asleep. MORE SSH Jump hosts. Import from your SSH config. Local port forwarding. Ed25519 and RSA keys, or a password. YOUR DATA STAYS WITH YOU ⢠No account, no analytics, no tracking. Nothing is sent to us. ⢠Passwords and keys are kept in the Keychain on your device. ⢠Clayshell only talks to the servers you add. ⢠It asks before trusting a new server, and stops if a server's key changes. ⢠An optional lock with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode. Clayshell has a day and a night look, and works on Mac and iPhone. Monitoring needs a Linux server. The PM2 screen needs PM2 on the server. Server alerts need curl and cron on the server. An RSA key protected by a passphrase is not supported yet.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: PyNotebook at 13.0 against Clayshell's 18.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price Ā· Rating Ā· Positive reviews Ā· Number of ratings Ā· Update frequency Ā· Ads Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Monetization Ā· Best chart rank Ā· Devices Ā· Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | PyNotebook | Clayshell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | ā | Every 5 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPod | iPhone, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 13.0 ā better | 18.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 45 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | JALAL ZAINADDIN | Arvind Kumar |
In-app purchases
PyNotebook
No in-app purchases
Clayshell
No in-app purchases









