Comparison

PocketShell vs SSH Client & Terminal

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

Head to head
About

PocketShell

Read full description

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

SSH Client & Terminal

A comprehensive SSH client and server monitor for managing Linux servers, VPS, and Docker containers. Offers real-time dashboards, SFTP, SSL alerts, and system log viewing. Securely stores credentials on your device.

Highlights
  • Multi-server dashboard with health scores
  • Full SSH terminal with VT100/xterm emulation
  • Real-time monitoring charts
  • SSL certificate expiry tracking
  • Docker and Podman container management
  • SFTP browser
  • System log viewer
Features
Read full description

A full SSH client and Linux server monitor in your pocket. Cura gives sysadmins, DevOps engineers, and developers a real terminal, live VPS dashboards, SFTP, Docker controls, and SSL alerts - for every server you run. Built by people who actually live in the shell. No subscriptions, no telemetry, no nonsense. KEY FEATURES - Multi-server dashboard with health scores and live CPU, RAM, and disk usage - Full SSH terminal with VT100 and xterm emulation, function keys, and landscape mode - Real-time monitoring charts for CPU, RAM, disk, network, swap, load, and processes - SSL certificate discovery and expiry tracking for your domains - Alerts for threshold breaches with process-level context - Runbooks - save and execute multi-line commands with one tap - System log viewer with color-coded output for syslog, auth.log, nginx, apache, and more - Uptime monitoring with HTTP, HTTPS, TCP, and Ping checks - Docker and Podman container management - start, stop, restart, view logs - systemd service control - start, stop, and restart services remotely - SFTP browser for navigating remote files - Home screen widget showing server health at a glance - Face ID and Touch ID app lock to protect server access - Light, dark, and system themes SECURITY Your server credentials never leave your device. Passwords and private keys are encrypted in the iOS Keychain with hardware-backed protection. Authentication supports passwords, Ed25519, and RSA private keys. PRO UPGRADE The free tier supports two servers with the full SSH terminal and basic monitoring. Cura Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks: - Unlimited servers - Alerts for CPU, RAM, disk, and uptime thresholds - SSL certificate expiry tracking - Custom runbooks - Uptime monitoring - Home screen widget - Notification history No subscriptions. One purchase, yours forever. LANGUAGES Cura is available in 20 languages: English, Arabic, German, Spanish, French, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Dutch, Portuguese, Russian, Turkish, Vietnamese, Simplified and Traditional Chinese. PRIVACY Your server credentials are stored only on your device. We do not collect, transmit, or have access to your credentials, command output, or server data. See our privacy policy at https://saltserv.com/privacy/. SUPPORT Questions or feedback? Visit https://saltserv.com/support/ or contact support directly through the app.

Screenshots

PocketShell4 screens
SSH Client & Terminal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SSH Client & Terminal at weekly against PocketShell's every 3 weeks. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support 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

Both are free to download. PocketShell sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per month and SSH Client & Terminal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PocketShell ships an update every 3 weeks, SSH Client & Terminal weekly. The most recent releases landed on October 1, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
PocketShell versus SSH Client & Terminal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPocketShellSSH Client & Terminal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeksWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS16.4 — better17.0
Further details — not scored
Size88 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperYash AgarwalOday Maleh

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
1 purchases

SSH Client & Terminal

One-time1
  • Cura Pro Lifetime$17.99

Questions

Is PocketShell free?
PocketShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is SSH Client & Terminal free?
SSH Client & Terminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do PocketShell or SSH Client & Terminal have ads?
Neither PocketShell nor SSH Client & Terminal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PocketShell or SSH Client & Terminal?
PocketShell ships an update every 3 weeks, and SSH Client & Terminal weekly. Most recently, PocketShell was updated on October 1, 2026 and SSH Client & Terminal on October 13, 2026.

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