Comparison

ViSH vs Agent Station

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

Head to head
About

ViSH

Features
Read full description

ViSH turns your iPad into a portable, local ARM64 Linux workspace. Run Alpine Linux or Ubuntu 24.04 in a touch-friendly terminal, use AI coding CLIs, manage project files, or connect to remote servers over SSH. Your local Linux environment runs without a remote server. ViSH requires an auto-renewing subscription (yearly or monthly) and offers a 7-day free trial. All features described below require an active subscription. AI coding wherever you are Install terminal tools such as Claude Code and Codex to explore code, write scripts, and refactor projects on iPad. Bring your own account or API key and configure your environment with guided setup. Use apk on Alpine Linux or apt on Ubuntu 24.04. Install Git, OpenSSH, Node.js, npm, pnpm, nano, ripgrep, tmux, and common build tools as needed. Manage files beside your terminal The session file browser lets you browse local Linux or SSH server directories, view file details, import files and folders, create directories, and delete multiple items. Insert selected file paths directly into the terminal to save typing. Keep multiple Linux filesystems, download supported systems or import your own archives, and switch which one boots. Each filesystem retains its login user, boot command, and setup state. Export tar.gz archives or browse all filesystems from a single ViSH location in the Files app. Flexible SSH connections and protected keys Save SSH servers with password or key authentication, jump hosts, port forwarding, keep-alive, and automatic tab reconnection. On supported devices, create Secure Enclave SSH keys whose private keys stay inside secure hardware. Optionally require Face ID, Touch ID, or your device passcode when using a key. You can also import existing keys. Secure Enclave keys remain on the device where they were created. Built for terminal work on iPad Use multiple terminal tabs and long-press + to choose a local or SSH tab. Side panels bring files, shortcut keys, appearance, voice input, and SSH tools beside your main terminal workspace. Make it your own with a phosphor-amber interface, 505 terminal themes with live previews, and coding fonts with glyph previews. Pinch to resize text, pin the shortcut bar, use sticky modifiers and command snippets, mirror the terminal in Picture in Picture, and open Linux links in Safari. Connect serial hardware Connect compatible Bluetooth serial adapters to Linux with modem controls and optional local RFC 2217 access. Settings includes device compatibility information and guidance for an ESP32 bridge to help you choose a connection method. Notes All app features require an active ViSH subscription after the 7-day free trial. Some Linux features are limited by the iOS sandbox. Third-party tools such as Claude Code and Codex require your own account or API key with those services and may require a separate paid plan purchased outside ViSH. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://vishapp.dev/privacy

About

Agent Station

Features
Read full description

Agent Station is an SSH terminal client built for the AI era. Connect to your own servers, manage tmux sessions, and drive AI coding agents like Claude Code and Codex with your keyboard or voice — from your commute, a cafe, anywhere. Key features: • Real SSH terminal: modern xterm.js-based UI with large, high-contrast text; multi-hop ProxyJump support reaches hosts behind bastions • AI agent command deck: a project list shows each agent's live status (working / waiting / disconnected); tap in for a live terminal • Voice input: hold to talk, mixed Chinese/English recognition with optional LLM correction, transcripts injected straight into the remote terminal • Persistent tmux sessions: network drops, app switches, device changes — your session survives • Private by design: SSH credentials never leave your device, zero data collection; optional SSH-over-443 tunneling for restricted networks Who it's for: • Engineers running AI agents like Claude Code or Codex on remote servers • Developers who need to check on long-running server tasks from anywhere • Anyone who wants a clean, modern, ad-free SSH client Requirements: you need your own SSH server. Voice input requires your own speech-recognition API key (Volcengine Doubao ASR supported).

Screenshots

ViSH4 screens
Agent Station4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Agent Station at none against ViSH's 2. On price, ads, device support and iOS requirement 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. ViSH sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. Agent Station asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard1 real difference Ā· 5 level
ViSH versus Agent Station: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViSHAgent Station
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyFortnightly—
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS18.217.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developerę­¦ę±‰å°å¼ŗē§‘ęŠ€ęœ‰é™č“£ä»»å…¬åøå“‡åœ£ 孙

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ViSH

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly7 Days trial$5.991 Month
  • Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
None

Agent Station

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ViSH free?
ViSH is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Agent Station free?
Agent Station is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ViSH or Agent Station have ads?
Neither ViSH nor Agent Station shows ads.

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