Comparison

MuxLink vs RootDeck

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

Head to head
About

MuxLink

This app provides a seamless remote development experience on mobile devices. Connect to your dev box, manage tmux sessions, and run coding agents that continue working even when your screen is off. It offers a customizable keyboard and efficient command history for enhanced productivity.

Highlights
  • Persistent tmux sessions
  • Run coding agents anywhere
  • Customizable accessory keyboard
  • Command history and autocomplete
  • SSH with key or password auth
  • Mosh support for roaming
  • SFTP file browsing
Features
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Your terminal, everywhere you go. MuxLink is an SSH client built for one thing: making a real remote development session usable from a phone. Connect to your dev box, attach to tmux, and pick up exactly where you left off — including long-running coding agents that keep working while your screen is off. RUN AGENTS FROM ANYWHERE Start a coding agent on your server, lock your phone, and check back later. Your tmux session keeps running on the remote machine, so nothing is lost when the connection drops or the app goes to the background. A one-tap "Copy Terminal Buffer" button grabs the visible scrollback so you can paste context into a chat without fighting a text selection handle. Works with any terminal-based agent — Claude Code, Codex, Aider, or your own scripts. MuxLink is not affiliated with or endorsed by their makers. TMUX AS A NATIVE INTERFACE MuxLink detects when your session is running tmux and renders your windows as a native tab bar. Switch windows by tapping instead of typing a prefix chord. It works with grouped sessions, so your phone can follow its own window without dragging your desktop client along with it. A KEYBOARD THAT WORKS ON A TOUCHSCREEN The iOS keyboard has no Ctrl, Esc, Tab, or arrow keys. MuxLink adds them in an accessory bar you can customize, with presets for tmux, Vim, and agent-driven workflows. Type into a comfortable text field and send whole lines, or drop into raw keystroke mode when an app needs every character live. COMMANDS YOU ALREADY RAN Command history is kept per host, with inline ghost-text autocomplete as you type and up/down recall. Pin the commands you run constantly and tap them from a menu. Everything is scoped to the host you are on, so your laptop's history does not clutter your server's. BUILT FOR REAL SERVERS • SSH with password, Ed25519 key, or passwordless auth • Generate keys on device, optionally protected by Face ID • Known-hosts fingerprint verification with a clear warning if a host key changes • Mosh support for roaming between networks • SFTP file browsing • Per-host startup command — auto-attach tmux the moment you connect • Auto-reconnect when you return to the app • Multiple concurrent sessions • Paste an "ssh user@host -p port" command to connect instantly MADE TO LOOK RIGHT Thirty themes, five monospace fonts, and full-color terminal rendering so Starship prompts, syntax highlighting, and TUI apps look the way they do on your desktop. Native iPad support with a resizable window. PRIVATE BY DESIGN No accounts, no telemetry, no analytics SDKs, no ads. Keys and passwords live in the iOS Keychain on your device. The only network connections MuxLink makes are the ones you initiate to the servers you name. REQUIREMENTS MuxLink connects to servers you already have access to. It does not provide servers, hosting, or a VPN. To reach a machine that is not exposed to the public internet, use it alongside a mesh VPN such as Tailscale.

About

RootDeck

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Manage your servers straight from your iPhone and iPad. RootDeck is a fast, secure SSH and SFTP client — a full terminal and file manager in your pocket. Connect directly to your own servers — no RootDeck account, no cloud in between. Built for developers, sysadmins, and DevOps who need their infrastructure on the go. Features: • Interactive SSH terminal • SFTP file browser and transfers • Upload, download, copy, move, rename, and delete remote files • Password and SSH key authentication • Jump host support for reaching servers behind a bastion • Host key verification to protect against MITM attacks • Saved server profiles • Face ID or Touch ID app lock • Server availability monitoring • Support for Linux, macOS, and Windows OpenSSH servers Credentials are stored securely in Apple Keychain. SSH connections, commands, and transferred files go directly between your device and the servers you choose. RootDeck does not collect analytics and does not send your server data to the developer.

Screenshots

MuxLink4 screens
RootDeck4 screens

Verdict

The call

MuxLink and RootDeck 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
MuxLink versus RootDeck: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterMuxLinkRootDeck
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequency—Weekly
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, Mac — better
Requires iOS17.017.0
Further details — not scored
Size8 MB14 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperJesse ZieglerEvgenii Lav

In-app purchases

None

MuxLink

No in-app purchases

None

RootDeck

No in-app purchases

Questions

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

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