Comparison

ShellBox vs DevToolkit

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

Head to head
About

ShellBox

Features
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ShellBox is a professional SSH client for iPhone and iPad that puts a full Linux server terminal in your pocket — with a mobile-first keyboard, SFTP file manager, remote code editor and an AI-powered command assistant. CONNECT IN SECONDS • Password and SSH private key authentication • Multiple servers with quick-switch access • Host key fingerprint verification for secure connections • Face ID / Touch ID to instantly unlock your servers and keys • Keys and passwords protected in the iOS Keychain — never stored in plain text A TERMINAL BUILT FOR TOUCH • Full ANSI color rendering (ls, git, htop, docker and more look exactly right) • Dedicated keyboard toolbar: ESC, TAB, CTRL, ALT and arrow keys — one tap away • Command history recall with up / down keys • UTF-8, copy and paste, and smooth scrolling • Optimized input for long sessions on the go SFTP FILE MANAGER • Browse remote directories with breadcrumb navigation • Upload, download, rename and delete files • Edit files directly on the server with the built-in code editor • Never switch apps to fix a config file again SMART COMMAND ASSISTANT • Built-in command library with searchable, reusable snippets • Instant suggestions and path completion • AI-powered explanation of errors and one-tap solution commands (optional) SERVER DASHBOARD • Real-time view of CPU, memory, disk and network usage • Quick health check at a glance before you dive in ShellBox is built with privacy in mind. Your server addresses, credentials and keys stay on your device. No accounts, no telemetry, no cloud. Compatible with Linux, macOS, BSD and any device running OpenSSH. Works over Wi-Fi, cellular and VPN connections. Requirements: iOS 17.0 or later.

About

DevToolkit

Features
Read full description

A developer's toolkit in your pocket. SSH, SFTP, FTP/FTPS, DNS, Ping, Traceroute, HTTP, WebSocket, SSL and more — all in one app, no accounts, no data sent to the cloud. A single password encrypts everything and keeps it on your device. 13 professional tools, one interface. Native iOS 17 app; no ads, no tracking, no backend. NETWORK DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS • DNS Lookup — A, AAAA, MX, NS, TXT, CNAME records; multiple types in one query • Ping — live latency chart, avg/min/max and packet loss statistics • Traceroute — UDP-based, per-hop latency with reverse DNS • Redirect Checker — follows the HTTP redirect chain step by step; loop detection • SSL Checker — TLS certificate, chain, expiration, cipher suite, SAN list FILE TRANSFER (FTP/SFTP) • FTP, FTPS and SFTP protocol support • Folder upload and download (recursive, including subdirectories) • File permissions (chmod) — numeric mode with preview • Rename, move, copy, bulk delete • Tappable breadcrumb for fast directory navigation • Home icon jumps to the root directory in one tap • Connection details and passwords stored encrypted REMOTE SHELL (SSH) • xterm-256color emulation — top, htop, vim and other screen apps work smoothly • Password, OpenSSH Ed25519 private key, and Secure Enclave-backed P-256 key auth • TOFU host key verification; warns against MITM attacks • Customizable keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl, Esc, Tab, arrow keys, pipe, tilde, slash • Reorder shortcuts by drag and drop • Active SSH sessions stay alive in the background WEB DEVELOPMENT • Built-in browser — WKWebView with Console, Network, and Storage panels • HTTP client — GET, POST, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS; header editor, JSON/Form/Raw body • WebSocket — connect, send/receive text and binary frames, live log, 500-frame buffer • History for previous requests (HTTP and WebSocket) FILE MANAGER • Local file browser with tappable breadcrumb • Syntax-highlighted code editor: JSON, YAML, Markdown, JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Bash, HTML, CSS • Image viewer and editor — crop, resize, convert to PNG/JPG/WEBP/HEIC/GIF/ICO, quality control • PDF reader • Media player: MP4, M4V, MOV, MP3, AAC, WAV, MKV, WEBM, AVI, FLV, TS, OGG • Archives: ZIP, TAR, GZIP, BZip2, XZ, 7Z, RAR extraction; ZIP compression • Hardened against archive attacks like zip-slip MEDIA PLAYER (from URL) • MP4, MOV, MP3, M4A, AAC, WAV • HLS live streams (.m3u8) • Custom headers like Authorization and Cookie (HTTPS only) • History of loaded streams NOTES • End-to-end encrypted notes — protected by your app password • Attach photos and files • Attachments open directly in the in-app viewers SECURITY • On-device PBKDF2 (200,000 iterations, SHA-256) and AES-GCM encryption • All connections, passwords, SSH keys, notes, and history stored encrypted • Atomic password change with automatic rollback on failure • Auto-lock — immediate, 1 min, 5 min, 10 min, 30 min, 1 hour • Auto-wipe after too many wrong password attempts (optional; 3, 5, 10, 15, 20) • SSH private keys can be generated inside the Secure Enclave; the key never leaves the device • No data is sent to any cloud. No backend. No account required. WHO IS IT FOR? System administrators, backend and web developers, DevOps and network engineers, and anyone who tinkers with servers and networks. One app, one password, fully local — a professional workstation in your pocket. WHAT CAN YOU DO? • Connect to a remote server via SSH, run commands, tail logs • Transfer files and folders over SFTP, change permissions remotely • Verify DNS, SSL, and redirect chains when launching a new domain • Diagnose network issues with ping, traceroute, public/local IP • Test a REST API, try a WebSocket endpoint • Watch live console output and network traffic in the built-in browser • Download a ZIP archive, extract it, edit the code inside with syntax highlighting

Screenshots

ShellBox4 screens
DevToolkit4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: DevToolkit at Free against ShellBox's $0.99. On ads, 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

DevToolkit is free to download; ShellBox costs $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

Scorecard1 real difference · 5 level
ShellBox versus DevToolkit: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellBoxDevToolkit
Price$0.99Free — better
Update frequencyEvery 4 months—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size9 MB52 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developer洪卫 潘OMER SEZGIN

In-app purchases

None

ShellBox

No in-app purchases

None

DevToolkit

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ShellBox free?
ShellBox costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is DevToolkit free?
DevToolkit is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ShellBox or DevToolkit have ads?
Neither ShellBox nor DevToolkit shows ads.

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