Comparison

PocketShell vs Loopsy Terminal

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

Head to head
About

PocketShell

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Manage your servers and projects from your iPhone or iPad. No SSH keys to copy, no ports to forward, no VPN to configure. PocketShell replaces traditional SSH workflows with a secure, mobile-first workspace. Install the lightweight host agent, scan a QR code, and connect to your own machines through encrypted peer-to-peer connections whenever the network allows. Open real terminals, browse files, monitor system stats, transfer files, and now work inside ProjectSpace: a code editor-style mobile workspace for your projects. ProjectSpace brings files, terminal sessions, Git changes, agent chats, and local web previews together so you can inspect, fix, and ship from your phone. Built for developers, on-call engineers, homelab users, and self-hosters who need safe access to machines they own from anywhere. PROJECTSPACE - Browse project folders on your host - Open and edit code with syntax highlighting - Search files and project contents - View Git status and diffs - Stage changes, switch branches, and commit - Open terminals scoped to the project - Preview local dev servers in the built-in Dev Browser HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the PocketShell agent on your host with one command 2. Scan the QR code to pair your phone 3. Open terminals, files, projects, Git, stats, and web previews from your phone FREE FOR UP TO 2 HOSTS - Real terminal sessions with a mobile-friendly keyboard - ProjectSpace for mobile project workflows - Built-in Dev Browser for local web previews - Live monitoring: CPU, memory, disk, network, processes - Browse, preview, upload, and download files - Resume sessions across devices - Direct peer-to-peer connections when your network allows POCKETSHELL PRO - Up to 10 hosts - More ProjectSpace capacity - Direct host-to-host file transfers - Higher file transfer limits - 30 days of historical stats - Multi-device support - Priority alerts and notifications WHY NOT SSH? Traditional SSH apps require you to copy private keys to your phone, expose ports through your router, or set up VPNs to reach machines behind NAT. PocketShell uses encrypted peer-to-peer connections through a lightweight host agent. Pair once, access securely, and avoid key management on mobile. SECURITY PocketShell uses device-bound host pairing, trusted-device approval, biometric unlock, Ed25519 cryptography, and session auditing. Terminal contents are never stored on our servers. Terminal I/O, files, stats, and project data flow directly between your phone and your host whenever the network allows. PocketShell is for accessing machines you own or are authorized to operate. Privacy Policy: https://pocketshell.app/privacy Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Loopsy Terminal

Features
Read full description

Loopsy Terminal lets you pair your iPhone with your laptop and run shell or AI agent sessions (Claude Code, Cursor, Codex, Gemini) from your phone. Pair securely with a QR code. Sessions live on your laptop and you can switch back to them from your phone or browser anytime. Open source, self-hostable on Cloudflare Workers free tier. Features • Pair with your laptop in seconds via QR + 4-digit code • Run shell, Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini sessions remotely • Persistent sessions — switch between them like browser tabs • Voice input on iOS • End-to-end pairing token + per-phone secret, revocable • Open source: github.com/leox255/loopsy

Screenshots

PocketShell4 screens
Loopsy Terminal3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Loopsy Terminal at none against PocketShell's 3. Loopsy Terminal also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 16.4). 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. PocketShell sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month. Loopsy Terminal asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Ā· 4 level
PocketShell versus Loopsy Terminal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocketShellLoopsy Terminal
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS16.413.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB23 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYash AgarwalAnza Cloud Limited

In-app purchases

3 purchases

PocketShell

Subscriptions2
  • PocketShell Pro Monthly$4.991 Month
  • PocketShell Pro Yearly$39.991 Year
One-time1
  • PocketShell Pro Lifetime$99.99
None

Loopsy Terminal

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PocketShell free?
PocketShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Loopsy Terminal free?
Loopsy Terminal is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PocketShell or Loopsy Terminal have ads?
Neither PocketShell nor Loopsy Terminal shows ads.

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