Comparison

SSHELL Terminal vs SSH Connect

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

Head to head
About

SSHELL Terminal

Features
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Run SSH, Mosh and tmux sessions from iPhone or iPad. SSHELL keeps saved hosts, live terminals, remote files and SSH keys in one native workspace. Open several workspaces for one host. Attach existing tmux windows, create new windows and detach iPad terminals while each workspace stays tied to its host. On Mac and iPad, switch sessions using tabs and open Files in its own workspace tab. Browse sortable file columns with touch or pointer input. Show or hide session tabs and automatic file previews in Appearance settings; the Files Preview control saves the same preview preference. Open Preview remains available when automatic previews are off. Browse and transfer remote files over SSH or Mosh. Generate or import SSH keys, check SHA-256 host fingerprints and protect supported credentials with Keychain. Download SSHELL for free and use full access for 7 days. Lifetime access costs £2.99 as a one-time App Store purchase. Existing paid customers keep full access. Key features: - SSH, Mosh and Telnet connection profiles - Mosh roaming and reconnect handling - Multi-session saved hosts with distinct terminal workspaces - tmux-aware host management for opening and creating windows inside configured tmux sessions - iPad multiwindow, Split View and Stage Manager support - Remote file browsing for SSH and Mosh hosts - Upload, download, preview, copy, move and delete remote files - Download remote directories as .tar.gz archives when supported - Saved hosts with tags, notes, sorting and filtering - Per-host terminal themes, TERM values and trust policy - SSH key generation, import, export and host installation - Ed25519, ECDSA, RSA, OpenSSH, PEM, DER and PuTTY PPK key handling - Known-host prompts, SHA-256 fingerprints and changed-key warnings - Keychain-backed passwords, private keys and Mosh resume state - Biometric app lock with device passcode fallback - External keyboard shortcuts and terminal accessory keys - Nerd Font symbol support for glyph-heavy prompts and terminal tools - Native copy, paste, select all, Escape and terminal link handling - Light, dark, system and custom terminal colour themes - Off-by-default optional iCloud sync for supported settings, hosts, tags, key metadata, trusted host keys and synchronisable credentials Telnet is unencrypted. SSHELL includes it for trusted legacy environments, lab equipment and local networks only.

About

SSH Connect

Features
Read full description

SSH Connect : Secure is a fully offline SSH client and credential vault for your phone. Connect to your servers, run real commands in a full terminal, and keep every key and password encrypted on-device — no account, no cloud sync, no telemetry, ever. TERMINAL • Real interactive SSH sessions — not a mockup. Full ANSI color output, multiple tabs for multiple hosts at once. • On-screen key row (Ctrl, Esc, Tab, arrows, Ctrl+C) built for typing commands without a physical keyboard. • Pin your most-used commands per host for instant one-tap re-run, ranked by how often you actually use them. • Reconnects automatically if a session drops while the app is backgrounded. IDENTITIES & CLIENTS • Save reusable login identities — password, pasted private key, or an imported key file — independent of any single server. • Add servers manually, or import an existing ~/.ssh/config file (including wildcard Host blocks and Include directives). • Organize with tags and favorites; search across hosts, tags, and usernames. SESSIONS • Every session's full transcript (commands and output, timestamped) is saved locally. • Review it anytime, or export and share any transcript through the share sheet. SECURITY • App lock: Face ID, a 6-digit PIN, or no lock at all — your choice, changeable anytime in Settings. • Every credential and every byte of local data is encrypted at rest, keyed by your device's own Keychain — never written to disk in plaintext. • Back up your whole vault (servers, identities, pinned commands) to a single password-protected, AES-256-encrypted file, and restore it on another device — merge-safe, it never overwrites what's already there. PRIVACY No account. No backend. No analytics. No ads. Nothing ever leaves your device except your own SSH traffic to your own servers. Built for developers and sysadmins who need a real terminal in their pocket.

Screenshots

SSHELL Terminal4 screens
SSH Connect4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: SSH Connect at none against SSHELL Terminal's 1. SSH Connect also leads on update cadence (daily vs every 5 days) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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

CostPrice Ā· In-app purchases Ā· Ads Ā· Monetization

Both are free to download. SSHELL Terminal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. SSH Connect asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SSHELL Terminal ships an update every 5 days, SSH Connect daily. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences Ā· 3 level
SSHELL Terminal versus SSH Connect: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSSHELL TerminalSSH Connect
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 5 daysDaily — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size23 MB39 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperSimon StaceShreyansh Jain

In-app purchases

1 purchases

SSHELL Terminal

One-time1
  • SSHELL Lifetime Unlock$2.99
None

SSH Connect

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SSHELL Terminal free?
SSHELL Terminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SSH Connect free?
SSH Connect is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do SSHELL Terminal or SSH Connect have ads?
Neither SSHELL Terminal nor SSH Connect shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SSHELL Terminal or SSH Connect?
SSHELL Terminal ships an update every 5 days, and SSH Connect daily. Most recently, SSHELL Terminal was updated on November 5, 2026 and SSH Connect on November 10, 2026.

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