Tap Command Runner vs a+Terminal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tap Command Runner
Instantly execute pre-configured SSH commands on your servers directly from your Apple Watch, iPhone, or Mac. This app provides a secure, self-hosted relay for command execution without needing a terminal, ideal for developers and sysadmins.
- Pre-configure SSH commands
- Execute commands from Apple Watch, iPhone, Mac
- Self-hosted relay server
- Real-time command output
- Server health monitoring with push alerts
- SSH key management
- Watch face complications
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Tap is a command remote for your infrastructure. Pre-configure SSH commands on your servers, then execute them instantly from your Apple Watch, iPhone, or Mac — no terminal needed. How it works: Your Apple Watch connects to a lightweight relay server (self-hosted on your own infrastructure) over TLS 1.3. The relay manages SSH connections to your servers and executes the commands you've configured. Everything stays on your hardware — no cloud services, no third-party access. Built for developers and sysadmins who: • Need to restart a service during dinner • Want server health at a glance on their watch face • Monitor Docker containers from their wrist • Run deploy scripts without opening a laptop • Get push alerts when a server goes down Features: • 5 watch face complications (server status, fleet metrics, Docker, uptime, quick commands) • Apple Sign-In — no passwords to manage • SSH key generation and management • Command execution with real-time output • Execution history with full stdout/stderr • Server health monitoring with push notifications • Self-hosted relay — your data stays on your infrastructure • AES-256-GCM encryption for SSH keys at rest
a+Terminal
This app provides a privacy-focused SSH terminal for remote machine access on your iPhone. It integrates with tmux and CLI AI coding agents, offering features like push-to-talk dictation and live session monitoring.
- Privacy-first SSH terminal
- tmux and CLI AI agent integration
- Push-to-talk dictation
- Live Activities for session monitoring
- Dev server port preview
- Mac screen sharing (VNC)
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a+Terminal is a privacy-first SSH terminal for working on your own machines from your iPhone — built around tmux and CLI AI coding agents. It's agent-agnostic: run any CLI coding agent, with plug-and-play profiles you can extend yourself. SCROLLING THAT ACTUALLY WORKS Swipes become real mouse-wheel events, so tmux and your agent's output scroll natively, with momentum — no more fighting copy-mode. SPEAK YOUR PROMPTS Push-to-talk dictation inserts straight into the terminal. Recognition runs entirely on your iPhone; audio never leaves the device. NEVER LOSE YOUR SESSION Live Activities and the Dynamic Island show your active sessions at a glance. Tap to jump back in — a+Terminal reconnects and re-attaches your session multiplexer (tmux, zellij, and more) automatically. PREVIEW YOUR DEV SERVER Start a dev server on the machine you're connected to and a+Terminal spots the port — from the URL your framework prints, or from the machine's own listener table. Tap it and the page opens over the SSH connection you already have. It renders in a viewer built for exactly one thing: the single port you forwarded. Every other address is refused, nothing it loads is kept, and it is not a web browser. Reload with a tap, and switch between the mobile and desktop layout to check both. MONITOR YOUR MAC Add a Monitor (VNC) session to watch your own computer's screen sharing right from your phone. Sign in with your macOS account and you land straight on the desktop; pinch to zoom and pan. Pop the screen out into a floating Picture-in-Picture window to keep an eye on it while you use other apps. Turn on Control to tap, drag, and type — enough to unlock a locked Mac and take over. It stays view-only until you do, and it connects only to the machine you enter. (Beta.) ZERO DATA COLLECTION No analytics, no accounts, no crash SDKs, no servers of ours. The App Privacy label says "Data Not Collected" because there is nothing to collect it with. The only network traffic is your own connections to machines you configure. SUPPORT THE APP An optional tip jar lets you support a+Terminal's development. Tips are one-time and unlock nothing — every feature is always available. • ed25519 keys generated on-device, stored in the Keychain (never exportable, never in backups) • Password authentication option, stored in the Keychain only • Trust-on-first-use host key pinning with hard mismatch failures • Sticky Ctrl and C-b (tmux prefix) keys, Esc/Tab/arrows accessory bar • Attach an image or file from your phone over the existing SSH connection • Plug-and-play agent & multiplexer profiles — any CLI agent, tmux, zellij, screen — or define your own, no update required • Multiple simultaneous sessions with server groups • Preview a dev server running on the far end, over the SSH connection you already have — port detection and a single-port viewer • Monitor (VNC): view-only screen sharing for your own Mac, with a floating Picture-in-Picture window and optional touch & keyboard control (beta) • Light, dark, and follow-system themes Privacy Policy: https://aaroncx.github.io/a-plus-terminal/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Tap Command Runner at none against a+Terminal's 3. Tap Command Runner also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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
Both are free to download. a+Terminal sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Tap Command Runner asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tap Command Runner against 5.0 for a+Terminal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
| Parameter | Tap Command Runner | a+Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | — | Every 8 days |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 26.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 20 MB | 12 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Matt Wisniewski | Aaron Character |
Customer experience
Tap Command Runner
a+Terminal
In-app purchases
Tap Command Runner
No in-app purchases
a+Terminal
- Small Tip$1.99
- Medium Tip$4.99
- Large Tip$9.99









