Comparison

ViSH vs gtmux

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

gtmux

Monitor and control your terminal agents from your phone. See a live radar of agent states, send commands, and receive timely notifications for critical updates. This companion app enhances your workflow by keeping your coding agents accessible remotely.

Highlights
  • Live radar of tmux pane and CLI agent states
  • Remote command execution and agent control
  • Intelligent notifications for agent needs
  • Live Activity integration for Lock Screen
  • Secure, revocable sharing of sessions
  • Multi-language support (English, Simplified Chinese)
Features
Read full description

Manage the coding agents and tmux sessions on your Mac from your phone. Install gtmux on your Mac and pair your phone. Claude Code, Codex, other coding agents, and ordinary terminal panes will appear on your phone, so you can follow their progress and respond while you're away from your desk. HQ (Headquarter) HQ is the command center for your agents. It follows their sessions, works out what needs your decision and what can continue, then catches you up on what changed. It acts on your behalf only within the scope you authorize, with a record of every action. As work progresses, HQ adds reusable lessons to your local knowledge base. It draws on what worked before when a similar task comes up. Your corrections and new evidence help it revise old lessons and its own approach, so it gets to know your projects and preferences over time. Session status The radar lists your panes and agents, using colors to show their status. For agents without a direct integration, gtmux can read the terminal screen to identify their state. Replies and commands Answer an agent or send a command to a terminal from your phone. Numbered choices appear as buttons. You can also bring a session to the front on your Mac. Pairing permissions control terminal input; read-only access cannot type into a pane. Other features • Get notified when an agent needs you or finishes. • Start a new tmux session on your Mac from your phone. • Check remaining quota, the tightest usage window, and its reset time. • See the current agent's state on the Lock Screen and Dynamic Island. • Share a link limited to the sessions you choose. Revoke it at any time; input access must be enabled separately. • On iPad, the radar sits in the sidebar beside the open session, with room for HQ and pending decisions. Hardware keyboard shortcuts are supported. • Available in English and Simplified Chinese. Connecting gtmux is free and open source, and runs on your Mac. You can reach it from the phone app, terminal, menu bar, browser, or gtmux attach on another computer. Install it on the Mac first, then pair your phone. Setup guide: ccy.dev/projects/gtmux. Anywhere access can use a gtmux tunnel without a VPN. You can also connect over your own network. Agents continue running on your Mac. Privacy gtmux collects no data. There is no account. Your sessions and your token stay on your device and your Mac. Notifications are sent by your Mac through a relay, which forwards them to Apple's push service without storing them.

Screenshots

ViSH4 screens
gtmux4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: gtmux at none against ViSH's 2. gtmux also leads on update cadence (every 3 days vs fortnightly) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 18.2). On price, ads 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. ViSH sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $5.99 per month. gtmux asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

ViSH ships an update fortnightly, gtmux every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on October 13, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
ViSH versus gtmux: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterViSHgtmux
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (2 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—2 — better
Update frequencyFortnightlyEvery 3 days — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS18.215.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size49 MB29 MB
Age rating4+4+
Developer武汉小强科技有限责任公司Chaoyi Chen

In-app purchases

2 purchases

ViSH

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

gtmux

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is ViSH free?
ViSH is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is gtmux free?
gtmux is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do ViSH or gtmux have ads?
Neither ViSH nor gtmux shows ads.
Which is updated more often, ViSH or gtmux?
ViSH ships an update fortnightly, and gtmux every 3 days. Most recently, ViSH was updated on October 13, 2026 and gtmux on October 15, 2026.

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