Comparison

Cmux Remote vs Shepherd

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

Head to head
About

Cmux Remote

Control your cmux terminal sessions remotely from your mobile device. Interact with running processes, manage workspaces, and send commands securely over your private network. Ideal for developers who need to monitor or control their development machines while away from their desk.

Highlights
  • Live cmux surface mirroring
  • Keyboard accessory controls
  • Mouse passthrough support
  • Local notifications
  • Workspace and surface switching
  • Pinch-to-zoom font sizing
Features
Read full description

Cmux Remote is a private remote-control client for the cmux terminal multiplexer running on your own computer. Connect over your Tailscale network — your traffic never touches a third-party relay. WHAT IT IS Cmux (https://cmux.com) is a modern terminal multiplexer with native splits, workspaces, and rich integrations for AI agents like Claude Code, Codex, omx, and Cursor. Cmux Remote mirrors the cmux surface you choose, lets you type into it, send keys, manage workspaces, upload photos and documents, preview images, and receive notifications — all from this mobile app. WHO IT IS FOR - Developers who run long-lived agents such as Claude Code, Codex, and omx and want to check or control them away from their desk - People who access their own development machine remotely and want a focused terminal experience - Anyone already using Tailscale and looking for a private way to reach their terminal HOW IT WORKS 1. Install the open-source cmux-relay binary on the computer that runs cmux. 2. Make sure that computer is connected to Tailscale. 3. Open this app, enter the computer’s Tailscale hostname, and tap Connect. 4. Your cmux workspaces appear. Select a surface and start working. The relay communicates directly with cmux through its local Unix socket. This app communicates with the relay over a WireGuard-encrypted Tailscale tunnel. Nothing leaves your private network. FEATURES - Performance-tuned live mirroring of cmux terminal surfaces with Korean/CJK width support, an opaque-black viewport, and ANSI truecolor - Long-press drag selection with adjustable handles and one-tap copy - Keyboard accessory controls for Esc, Enter, Tab, arrows, Ctrl-C, other Ctrl combinations, /new, and Space - Keyboard-safe command layout with automatic dismissal after sending and an inline scroll-to-bottom control - Paste text and securely upload photos or documents to Downloads/cmux-remote - Browse recent uploads and terminal-visible files with image thumbnails and a full-screen zoom viewer - Local notifications and a native Inbox for cmux events and AI-agent needs-input prompts - Create, rename, and close workspaces and switch between multiple surfaces - Connected computer battery status when provided by the relay - Pinch-to-zoom terminal font sizing - Demo Mode with populated sample data so you can try the app before setting up a relay PRIVACY No analytics. No advertising. No third-party tracking SDKs. The bearer token issued by your relay is stored only in secure credential storage on your device. Source code and privacy details: https://github.com/NewTurn2017/cmux-remote REQUIREMENTS - A personal computer running cmux 0.64 or later and cmux-relay - Both devices signed in to the same Tailscale tailnet - iOS 17 or later Cmux Remote is open source under the MIT license. Issues and pull requests are welcome.

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

Cmux Remote4 screens
Shepherd4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Shepherd at 5.0 against Cmux Remote's 4.0. Shepherd also leads on review sentiment (100% vs 80%). On price, ratings volume, update cadence and ads 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Shepherd holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.0. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 3 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 80% of Cmux Remote's written reviews are positive against 100% of Shepherd's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Cmux Remote ships an update every 11 days, Shepherd weekly. Both last shipped on October 31, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 8 level
Cmux Remote versus Shepherd: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterCmux RemoteShepherd
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.0 (3 ratings)5.0 (3 ratings) — better
Positive reviews80.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings33
Update frequencyEvery 11 daysWeekly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFreeFree
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad
Requires iOS17.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size5 MB61 MB
Age rating4++4
Developerjaehyun jangEgor Kolesnikov

Customer experience

Cmux Remote

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral33.3%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews5 reviews
Positive80.0%
Neutral20.0%
Negative0.0%

Shepherd

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews4 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Cmux Remote

No in-app purchases

None

Shepherd

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Cmux Remote free?
Cmux Remote is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Shepherd free?
Shepherd is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Cmux Remote or Shepherd?
Shepherd is rated higher. Cmux Remote averages 4.0 out of 5 from 3 ratings, while Shepherd averages 5.0 from 3 ratings.
Do Cmux Remote or Shepherd have ads?
Neither Cmux Remote nor Shepherd shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Cmux Remote or Shepherd?
Cmux Remote ships an update every 11 days, and Shepherd weekly. Most recently, Cmux Remote was updated on October 31, 2026 and Shepherd on October 31, 2026.

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