Comparison

Tmux Bridge vs Shepherd

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

Head to head
About

Tmux Bridge

Features
Read full description

Tmux Bridge is a phone-native window into the tmux sessions running on your own Mac. Sign in with an email code, pair your laptop with a six-character code, and your iPhone becomes a real terminal — not a web shell, not a relay, not a hosted IDE. Your sessions never leave your tailnet. tmuxbridge talks directly to a small daemon running on your laptop over Tailscale, terminated with a real Let's Encrypt certificate. There is no middleman tmux server and no cloud terminal to compromise. FEATURES - Real xterm.js terminal embedded in the app - Multiple Macs, fan-out from one phone - Email-OTP sign-in with self-issued, short-lived tokens - Six-character pair codes; revoke a machine anytime from Settings - Mobile keyboard accessory: Esc, Tab, arrows, Ctrl-C, Ctrl-B - Auto-reconnecting WebSocket; survives bad cell signal REQUIREMENTS - A Mac you can install the tmux-bridge daemon on (one-line installer) - Tailscale installed and signed in on the phone AND the Mac - tmux installed on the Mac tmuxbridge is open source under the MIT license. The full source for the iOS app, the Mac daemon, and the backend is available on GitHub.

About

Shepherd

This app provides a fast and secure SSH client for accessing servers directly from your mobile device. It offers features like saved connections, custom command shortcuts, and extensive theming options for a personalized experience.

Highlights
  • Fast SSH client
  • Save server connections
  • Custom command shortcuts
  • Extensive terminal themes
  • Face ID protected keys
  • Multiple simultaneous sessions
Features
Read full description

Mochi is the place to control your AI coding agents from your iPhone. The agents run in herdr on your server. Mochi shows what each one is doing and takes you to it when it needs you. CONTROL YOUR AGENTS WITH HERDR • Live Activity on the lock screen: which agents are working and which are waiting for you • A notification when an agent is blocked or done, even when Mochi is closed • Tap it to open that agent's pane and answer from the chat input • Swipe to switch herdr tabs A REAL TERMINAL UNDERNEATH Mochi is a fast, beautiful SSH client built on the Ghostty terminal engine — a real terminal emulator in your pocket, not a toy. SSH INTO ANY SERVER Save your connections and jump into any of them in a tap. Password and key auth, custom ports, works great over Tailscale. FIRE COMMANDS IN ONE TAP Build your own shortcut groups: tmux prefixes, Ctrl combos, slash commands, whole snippets with Enter. The keyboard toolbar puts esc, tab, ctrl and ⌘ right above the keys — no more fighting the mobile keyboard. MAKE IT YOURS 500+ built-in terminal themes with search and light/dark filters. Real monospace fonts (JetBrains Mono and more), adjustable size, pinch to zoom in session. LOCK KEYS BEHIND FACE ID Private keys live in the iOS Keychain. Flip one switch and every use of a key requires Face ID. BUILT FOR ENGINEERS • Ghostty-powered terminal emulation — fast, correct, modern • Multiple simultaneous sessions • Native iOS design that feels at home on iOS 26 • No accounts, no tracking — your servers are your business

Screenshots

Tmux Bridge3 screens
Shepherd4 screens

Verdict

The call

Tmux Bridge and Shepherd are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters — price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them — neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.

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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ScorecardNo meaningful differences
Tmux Bridge versus Shepherd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTmux BridgeShepherd
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews—100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings—3 — better
Update frequency—Every 6 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS15.1 — better16.0
Further details — not scored
Size28 MB61 MB
Age rating17+4+
DeveloperSaad Omar OsmanEgor Kolesnikov

In-app purchases

None

Tmux Bridge

No in-app purchases

None

Shepherd

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Tmux Bridge free?
Tmux Bridge is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shepherd free?
Shepherd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Tmux Bridge or Shepherd have ads?
Neither Tmux Bridge nor Shepherd shows ads.

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