Shellcove · Remote Coding vs ProEncryptor
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Shellcove · Remote Coding
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Shellcove is a secure Mac remote for AI coding, terminal work, demos, and long-running tasks. Control your Mac over LAN or the Internet—even without a public IP or port forwarding—with Remote Desktop, live Window Text, iOS input-method text entry, keyboard, mouse, and clipboard sync. No account, separate VPN app, cloud storage, ads, or analytics. Built for remote coding and agentic coding workflows: run AI agents, Claude Code, codex, aider, terminal sessions, and long Mac tasks, then use your iPhone or iPad to watch output, send prompts, press keys, and keep work moving from across the room. How it works - Open the Shellcove Mac app once. It shows a pairing QR. - In Shellcove on your iPhone or iPad, tap "Scan QR". The devices pin a self-signed TLS certificate and can connect directly or through an end-to-end encrypted relay — no account or login. Key features - Remote Desktop, by touch: stream the Mac desktop as video and drive it directly — tap or drag to move the cursor, pinch to zoom, two-finger scroll, long-press to drag. Use full screen, choose any display, and open Keyboard & mouse for clicks and every key. - Text input via iOS keyboard and input methods: tap the bottom input bar, use iOS Dictation or any third-party keyboard to compose text, then send it to the focused Mac window character by character. It works in any app, including modern terminals. - Keys: six always-visible keys (Esc, Tab, Delete, Space, Next tab ⌃Tab, Enter), plus a More Keys panel with 32 combos for editing, navigation, terminal control, and function keys. - Clipboard sync: the Mac's clipboard mirrors to your paired devices automatically; send your device's clipboard back to the Mac with one tap. - Window Text: open a live, monospaced view of the focused Mac window's text (e.g. a terminal buffer). Full screen keeps AI-agent output and long logs readable; wide lines scroll, no video needed. - Keep screen awake: optionally prevent iPhone auto-lock while Shellcove is active in the foreground, useful for long remote-control or monitoring sessions. - iPhone + iPad, any orientation: the layout adapts to every screen — a single column on phones, a two-column "big screen + controls" layout on iPad, and a landscape mode that rearranges to fit. - Automatic Internet connection: Shellcove prefers direct LAN/VPN paths, then uses embedded Tailcat WireGuard NAT traversal and encrypted relay fallback when the Mac has no public IP. No separate Tailscale installation or account is required. Privacy & networking - Remote-control content stays end-to-end encrypted between your iPhone/iPad and Mac. A relay, when needed, transports encrypted packets and may process connection metadata, but cannot read the screen, text, clipboard, or input. - TLS with certificate pinning. The Mac generates a self-signed certificate at first launch; your device pins its fingerprint at pairing. - No accounts, cloud storage, telemetry, advertising, or tracking. The open-source Tailcat transport is bundled only for encrypted connectivity. - Text is composed by the system keyboard or the input method you choose. Shellcove receives only the final text and does not request microphone or Speech Recognition permission. Best paired with - Remote coding with AI agents in your terminal: Remote Desktop + Window Text + text input + button remote. - Long-running terminal commands where you keep hitting Enter / y / n. - Demos and presentations where you want to drive the Mac from across the room. Requirements - A Mac running macOS 13 (Ventura) or newer with the free companion Shellcove Mac app installed (apps.zhizuzhefu.com/shellcove). - Both devices need Internet access. Same-Wi-Fi and VPN connections remain the fastest paths; no public IP or router port forwarding is required. - One-time Accessibility and Screen Recording permission on the Mac so it can synthesize input and mirror the screen.
ProEncryptor
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ProEncryptor encrypts your files on this device and nowhere else. No servers, no accounts, no tracking. WHY IT IS FREE The iOS version is completely free, with no in-app purchases and no ads. ProEncryptor's revenue comes from the macOS version — and letting .pe files be opened on more devices is exactly what makes the macOS version worth having. DECRYPTION IS FREE FOREVER Opening a .pe file is free on every platform and in every version, with no limits. If someone sends you an encrypted file, you can always open it. HOW IT WORKS • Pick one file or many from the Files app or iCloud Drive • Choose a password — it is never stored and never uploaded • Encrypt. You get .pe files you can share anywhere • Tap any .pe file in the Files app to come straight back here and decrypt it WHAT IS INSIDE • AES-256-CBC with PKCS#7 padding • HMAC integrity checking (Encrypt-then-MAC) • PBKDF2 key derivation • The same Rust core as the macOS version, so .pe files are byte-for-byte compatible across both platforms PRIVACY • Collects no data • No advertising • No user accounts Encryption and decryption run entirely on this device. Neither your files nor your password ever leave it. BEFORE YOU START Your password cannot be recovered. We do not store it and there is no backdoor. If you forget it, your files can never be opened again — save it in a password manager. Encrypted files can be saved to the ProEncryptor folder in iCloud Drive, the same location the Mac version uses.
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Verdict
The clearest difference is iOS requirement: Shellcove · Remote Coding at 16.0 against ProEncryptor's 18.0. On price, ads, in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
| Parameter | Shellcove · Remote Coding | ProEncryptor |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 3 weeks | — |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad — better | iPhone |
| Requires iOS | 16.0 — better | 18.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 17 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | 鹏 陈 | Uniation Software Co.,Ltd. |
In-app purchases
Shellcove · Remote Coding
No in-app purchases
ProEncryptor
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Shellcove · Remote Coding free?
Is ProEncryptor free?
Do Shellcove · Remote Coding or ProEncryptor have ads?
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