Rafter Homelab Console vs GateShell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side ā with what reviewers say about each.
Rafter Homelab Console
Read full descriptionHide full description
Rafter is an iOS console for homelabs and self-hosted servers. Connect to your own Linux boxes over SSH, check Docker containers, watch system status, and keep an eye on Uptime Kuma monitors from one clean app. Built for people running Raspberry Pis, NAS boxes, low-end VPSs, and Tailscale networks at home. What Rafter does: ⢠Save SSH hosts securely ⢠Open a native SSH terminal ⢠Manage Docker containers over SSH ⢠View CPU, memory, disk, network, uptime, and processes ⢠Import hosts from Tailscale using read-only credentials ⢠View Uptime Kuma monitor status ⢠Store credentials in iOS Keychain Rafter is local-first. There is no Rafter account and no Rafter backend. Your SSH credentials stay on your device. Network requests go only to hosts and services you configure, plus purchase services for Rafter Pro. Free includes up to 3 hosts. Rafter Pro unlocks unlimited hosts and network integrations. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://rafter.maro.study/privacy
GateShell
This app provides a secure and private SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client that runs entirely on-device. It offers advanced terminal features, server management dashboards, and file editing capabilities, all without relying on external servers or tracking user data.
- Zero-backend SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client
- On-device credential management
- Native Mosh with persistent sessions
- Server management dashboards (Docker, DBs, etc.)
- SFTP file transfer with background retry
- Built-in code editor with syntax highlighting
- AI coding agent integration
Read full descriptionHide full description
GateShell is an SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client, and a full server command center. Your servers, your keys, your device, nothing in between. No backend, no relays, no tracking. PRIVATE BY DESIGN ⢠Zero backend. GateShell runs entirely on-device. There's no server to breach because there is no server. ⢠Credentials live in the hardware-encrypted Apple Keychain, or on Secure Enclave keys that never leave your device, not even as an export. ⢠No analytics, no telemetry. We don't know who you are or what you connect to. CONNECT, AND STAY CONNECTED ⢠Native Mosh, with encrypted UDP and predictive local echo. Change networks, close the lid, come back hours later: your session is still there. ⢠Jump hosts reach private servers through a bastion, with per-hop auth and host-key checks. ⢠Import your ~/.ssh/config, or bulk-import servers from CSV. ⢠SSH, Mosh, and Telnet, with automatic SSH fallback when UDP is blocked. SECURE CONNECTIONS ⢠Verified host keys, pinned per server, with a warning the instant one changes. ⢠Generate ed25519, P-256, RSA, or Secure Enclave hardware-backed keys, or import a PuTTY .ppk, including Argon2-encrypted ones. ⢠Security Assistant scans for missing updates, exposed listeners, weak SSH policy, firewall gaps, and expiring certificates. Every finding shows its evidence, and guided fixes run allow-listed commands only after you approve them. ⢠Face ID / Touch ID lock keeps your servers safe even if your device isn't. A REAL TERMINAL ⢠Full XTerm-256 color terminal with fullscreen, scrollback search, and a customizable toolbar. ⢠Two- and four-pane terminals with optional input broadcast. ⢠32 themes, bundled Nerd Fonts, custom font import, and named keyboard layouts. ⢠Command snippets with ${VAR} prompts, run across many hosts at once. MANAGE THE WHOLE SERVER ⢠20+ built-in dashboards: Docker, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, Firewall, Cron, PM2, WireGuard, Fail2Ban and more. Each one shows the status and acts on it. ⢠Fleet broadcasts one command to every server at once. ⢠Live health monitoring with restart, logs, and failure alerts. ⢠Install the optional open-source agent on your own server for metric history and push alerts when a service drops, a disk fills, or a cron job fails. It runs on your box, not ours. FILES & CODE ⢠Upload and download over SFTP with progress tracking and background retry. ⢠Show your servers in the Files app, and open remote files like local ones. ⢠Built-in editor with syntax highlighting and find/replace for 13+ languages. ⢠Git on the go: status, stage, commit, and review diffs. ⢠App Preview opens your dev server right in the app, tunneled over your existing SSH connection. BRING YOUR OWN CODING AGENT ⢠Start, resume, and interrupt Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI in any project on your server, straight from the terminal. ⢠It runs under your account, with your CLI. GateShell never proxies it and never sees your provider keys. AI THAT STAYS ON THE DEVICE ⢠Describe what you want in plain English, and GateShell composes the command on-device via Apple Intelligence. ⢠Long output gets an instant, structured summary with error and warning counts. ⢠A multi-step agent proposes a plan and runs it, with your approval on every step. ⢠Automatic secret redaction and a risk warning before dangerous commands run. AT A GLANCE ⢠Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick connect, server health, and your last session, plus a Live Activity that tracks the connection you're on. SYNC EVERYWHERE ⢠iCloud syncs your servers, snippets, and known hosts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, end-to-end encrypted. Free to start. Pro unlocks unlimited servers, SFTP, Mosh, port forwarding, the full dashboard suite, and more. On-device AI features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Terms of Use: https://gateshell.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://gateshell.com/privacy
Screenshots
Verdict
Rafter Homelab Console and GateShell are too close to call on the numbers: across 5 compared parameters ā price, ads, in-app purchases and device support among them ā neither pulls far enough ahead to decide it. What separates them is feature set and interface, not measurable difference.
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
Both are free to download. Rafter Homelab Console sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $9.99 per year and GateShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.
| Parameter | Rafter Homelab Console | GateShell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Positive reviews | ā | 100.0% of reviews |
| Update frequency | ā | Every 5 weeks |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Monetization | ā | Freemium |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, Mac ā better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details ā not scored | ||
| Size | 22 MB | 52 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MAROUANE HACHEMI BOUMILA | HEFTY INNOVATIONS |
In-app purchases
Rafter Homelab Console
- Pro Annual$9.991 Year
GateShell
- GateShell Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
- GateShell Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
Questions
Is Rafter Homelab Console free?
Is GateShell free?
Do Rafter Homelab Console or GateShell have ads?
Other comparisons















