Comparison

Terminalko vs JTerm

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

Head to head
About

Terminalko

Connect to remote servers like VPS, Raspberry Pi, or Linux boxes directly from your iPhone or iPad. This app provides a real terminal experience with advanced features for managing connections and executing commands securely.

Highlights
  • Connect to VPS, Raspberry Pi, Linux
  • xterm-256color PTY with ANSI colors
  • Password or key authentication
  • Jump hosts support
  • Command snippets
  • Auto-reconnect for dropped sessions
  • Multiple parallel sessions
Features
Read full description

Terminalko is a fast, focused SSH terminal for iPhone and iPad. Connect to your VPS, Raspberry Pi or any Linux box, run a real shell, get work done without a laptop. Add a server and you are at a prompt in a minute. [ A real terminal ] A true xterm-256color PTY with ANSI colors, scrollback and a keyboard aware layout. htop, vim and tmux behave exactly like they should. [ SSH, Mosh and Telnet ] SSH with password or key auth, jump hosts through a bastion in one hop. Mosh survives Wi-Fi to cellular switches, IP changes and long sleeps. Your prompt is still there hours later. Telnet for legacy gear: switches, routers, the odd BBS. [ Edit files over SFTP ] Open the config, fix the wrong line, save it back in place. Sizes, permissions and dates on every row. Upload, download, rename, delete, new folder. [ SSH keys, Secure Enclave included ] Generate an Ed25519 key on device and copy its authorized_keys line, ready to deploy. Paste an existing OpenSSH key. Or make one in the Secure Enclave, where the private half cannot leave the chip. A different key per server. Secrets live in the iOS Keychain. [ Dropped connections reconnect ] Connection Keeper retries a dropped session with a visible overlay and a cancel button. Lock the phone, tmux keeps working server side, the session re-attaches when you return. [ Themes and fonts ] Fifteen built in themes, plus an editor for your own: all 16 ANSI slots, text, background, cursor and selection, live preview. Twenty monospace faces bundled, nothing to download. [ Maximum Privacy and Security ] No tracking, no ads, no spying. Face ID, Touch ID, Optic ID or your passcode, with a grace period you choose, and masks it in the app switcher. No analytics, no ads, no accounts, no telemetry. The app talks to your servers and to nothing else. [ Our mission ] Make the best terminal and SFTP app there is. Every version came from someone saying what was missing. If something is missing for you, say so. [ Requirements ] iOS or iPadOS 17 or later. Built for developers, sysadmins and homelab tinkerers. Check a server from the couch, SSH into a Pi from bed, restart a service from the train. Terms of Use: https://terminalko.com/terms/

About

JTerm

A native SSH client and terminal emulator for iOS devices. It allows secure connections, file management via SFTP, and supports multiple live sessions with an AI assistant for terminal workflows. Offers custom keyboard rows and hardware keyboard support.

Highlights
  • Secure SSH connections
  • SFTP file explorer
  • Multiple live sessions
  • AI Assistant
  • Custom keyboard row
  • Hardware keyboard support
Features
Read full description

JTerm is a fast, native SSH client and xterm-compatible terminal for iPhone and iPad. Connect securely, manage remote files with SFTP, and keep essential server workflows close at hand. FEATURES • Secure SSH connections with ordered multi-hop jump hosts • Saved hosts with sortable groups and credentials protected by the iOS Keychain • Reusable SSH keys shared across hosts • SFTP file explorer with uploads, downloads, favorite folders, sharing, and inline text editing • Multiple live sessions — keep several connections open and switch instantly • Automatic reconnection with backoff when your network drops or changes • Saved commands for frequently used terminal workflows • AI Assistant that can work with active terminal sessions using built-in AI or your own provider • Custom keyboard row with Esc, Ctrl, Alt, arrows, Tab, pipe, and more • Hardware-keyboard support on iPad with Command shortcuts • iPad split view with hosts and sessions beside the terminal • Pinch to zoom the terminal font • iCloud sync for hosts, keys, and settings across your devices Your secrets stay on-device: passwords, private keys, and AI API keys are protected by the iOS Keychain and sync only through iCloud Keychain. Built-in AI requires Sign in with Apple and cloud-processing consent. Permanent AI credits do not expire. One-time AI plans last 31 days. Independent monthly AI credit packs renew automatically; different amounts can be subscribed to together and are billed separately. Unused monthly allowance expires at the end of each billing period. These purchases are separate from JTerm Pro. Find balances and purchases in Settings > Buy AI Credits, configure AI in Settings > AI Information, and manage or delete your account in Settings > Account. Privacy Policy: https://jterm.jimeji.com/privacy.html Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Terminalko4 screens
JTerm3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is price: JTerm at Free against Terminalko's $4.99. Terminalko's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 7) and update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On rating, ratings volume, 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

JTerm is free to download; Terminalko costs $4.99 up front. JTerm sells 7 in-app purchases, starting at $1.99 per year. Terminalko asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Terminalko against 5.0 for JTerm. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Terminalko ships an update every 2 days, JTerm every 5 days. The most recent releases landed on October 14, 2026 and October 21, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Terminalko versus JTerm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTerminalkoJTerm
Price$4.99Free — better
Rating5.0 (2 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings)
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings2 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 2 days — betterEvery 5 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFree with in-app purchases
DevicesiPhone, iPad, MaciPhone, iPad, Mac
Requires iOS17.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size22 MB16 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperBEGRIPHangzhou Blade Technology Co., Ltd

Customer experience

Terminalko

All ratings2 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

JTerm

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

Terminalko

No in-app purchases

7 purchases

JTerm

Subscriptions4
  • 1 Year Pro1 Year trial$1.991 Year
  • 1,000 Monthly AI Credits$1.991 Month
  • 3,000 Monthly AI Credits$4.991 Month
Show 1 more
  • 10,000 Monthly AI Credits$14.991 Month
One-time3
  • 1,000 AI Credits$2.99
  • 3,000 AI Credits$7.49
  • 10,000 AI Credits$22.49

Questions

Is Terminalko free?
Terminalko costs $4.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is JTerm free?
JTerm is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Terminalko or JTerm?
Terminalko and JTerm are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.
Do Terminalko or JTerm have ads?
Neither Terminalko nor JTerm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Terminalko or JTerm?
Terminalko ships an update every 2 days, and JTerm every 5 days. Most recently, Terminalko was updated on October 14, 2026 and JTerm on October 21, 2026.

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