Comparison

Tether vs GitBoba

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

Head to head
About

Tether

Seamlessly integrate your mobile device with your Linux desktop. Share clipboards, transfer files, and discover your desktop locally over Wi-Fi. All communication is secured with end-to-end encryption, with no cloud servers or accounts needed.

Highlights
  • Shared Clipboard Sync
  • Bi-directional File Transfers
  • Local Network Discovery
  • End-to-End Encryption
  • No Cloud Services Required
Features
Read full description

Tether is an app designed for Linux users running custom desktop environments (Wayland). It provides essential ecosystem integration between your mobile device and your workstation, operating entirely over your local Wi-Fi. There are no cloud servers, third-party services, or accounts required. All data is routed strictly on your local network and secured with end-to-end mTLS encryption. Features: • Shared Clipboard: Sync clipboard text bi-directionally between your iPhone and your Linux machine. • File Transfers: Send documents, photos, and archives directly to your desktop, or receive files from it. • Local Discovery: Uses mDNS/Bonjour to automatically find your desktop - no static IP configuration needed. • Encrypted Connections: Device pairing and all network traffic are secured via mutual TLS certificates. Note: Tether is the iOS client app. To use it, simply run the free, open-source Tether desktop application (available as a CLI or GTK app) on your Linux machine. Visit the project's repository to download it and get started.

About

GitBoba

A native iOS and iPadOS client for Gitea, a self-hosted Git service. Manage your daily work directly from your mobile device without needing to access a desktop.

Highlights
  • Native iOS and iPadOS client
  • Connects to Gitea servers
  • Personal access token authentication
  • Manage day-to-day work
  • Mobile Git management
Features
Read full description

GitBoba is a fast, native iOS and iPadOS client for Gitea + Forgejo. Connect to your own self-hosted instance and get a full git workflow, no browser required. • Repos - Browse code, branches, and commits • Pull Requests - Full diffs, reviews, merges • Issues - See what's open across every repo. • Actions - Trigger a workflow, watch it run, check on your runners. • Releases & Packages - Cut and publish a package • Dashboard & Notifications: Everything that needs you in one place • And much more! Self-hosted software shouldn't come with a locked-down client. GitBoba won’t lock open-source behind a paywall. We strive to bring new functionality and provide feature parody with existing backend.

Screenshots

Tether3 screens
GitBoba4 screens

Verdict

The call

Tether and GitBoba are too close to call on the numbers: across 9 compared parameters — price, rating, ratings volume and update cadence among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tether against 5.0 for GitBoba. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and September 24, 2026 respectively.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Tether versus GitBoba: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTetherGitBoba
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyWeeklyWeekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad — better
Requires iOS26.126.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB28 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperZack BartelMiguel Perez

Customer experience

Tether

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

GitBoba

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Tether

No in-app purchases

None

GitBoba

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tether free?
Tether is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is GitBoba free?
GitBoba is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Tether or GitBoba?
Tether and GitBoba are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Tether or GitBoba have ads?
Neither Tether nor GitBoba shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Tether or GitBoba?
Tether ships an update weekly, and GitBoba weekly. Most recently, Tether was updated on October 1, 2026 and GitBoba on September 24, 2026.

Other comparisons