Comparison

TermLink vs a+Terminal

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

Head to head
About

TermLink

Features
Read full description

TermLink turns your iPhone into a compact SSH companion for AI coding, server checks, and remote file handoff. Connect to your own SSH host, generate a key pair, copy the public key, and keep the setup steps close to the terminal. Upload screenshots or photos over SCP, then pass the remote path to Codex, Claude Code, or another AI coding workflow without retyping it. The local workspace stays inside the iOS app sandbox. Built-in commands cover file navigation, JSON formatting, Base64 encode/decode, and JavaScriptCore-backed Node-compatible snippets for safe learning and small experiments. Key features: - SSH profile setup with key generation - Remote shell access from iPhone - SCP image upload and remote path handoff - Snippets for frequent SSH commands and AI prompts - Sandboxed local files and bundled command shims - JSON formatter, Base64 tools, and JavaScriptCore snippets - Japanese IME support and app language switching - Adjustable terminal font size - Optional Pro themes, multiple tabs, multiple SSH profiles, multiple snippets, and remote path insertion TermLink is built as an SSH companion, a command-line learning tool, and an AI coding handoff surface. It is not a native package manager, an external code store, or a way to run downloaded native executables after review. Japanese: TermLink は、iPhone から SSH ホストや AI コーディング環境へつなぐための端末ワークスペースです。SSH 接続、SCP 画像アップロード、Codex / Claude Code 向けのリモートパス連携、サンドボックス内ファイル操作、JSON 整形、Base64 変換、スニペット、Pro テーマなどを利用できます。アプリ外のコードをダウンロードして実行するネイティブパッケージマネージャーではありません。

About

a+Terminal

This app provides a privacy-focused SSH terminal for remote machine access on your iPhone. It integrates with tmux and CLI AI coding agents, offering features like push-to-talk dictation and live session monitoring.

Highlights
  • Privacy-first SSH terminal
  • tmux and CLI AI agent integration
  • Push-to-talk dictation
  • Live Activities for session monitoring
  • Dev server port preview
  • Mac screen sharing (VNC)
Features
Read full description

a+Terminal is a privacy-first SSH terminal for working on your own machines from your iPhone — built around tmux and CLI AI coding agents. It's agent-agnostic: run any CLI coding agent, with plug-and-play profiles you can extend yourself. SCROLLING THAT ACTUALLY WORKS Swipes become real mouse-wheel events, so tmux and your agent's output scroll natively, with momentum — no more fighting copy-mode. SPEAK YOUR PROMPTS Push-to-talk dictation inserts straight into the terminal. Recognition runs entirely on your iPhone; audio never leaves the device. NEVER LOSE YOUR SESSION Live Activities and the Dynamic Island show your active sessions at a glance. Tap to jump back in — a+Terminal reconnects and re-attaches your session multiplexer (tmux, zellij, and more) automatically. PREVIEW YOUR DEV SERVER Start a dev server on the machine you're connected to and a+Terminal spots the port — from the URL your framework prints, or from the machine's own listener table. Tap it and the page opens over the SSH connection you already have. It renders in a viewer built for exactly one thing: the single port you forwarded. Every other address is refused, nothing it loads is kept, and it is not a web browser. Reload with a tap, and switch between the mobile and desktop layout to check both. MONITOR YOUR MAC Add a Monitor (VNC) session to watch your own computer's screen sharing right from your phone. Sign in with your macOS account and you land straight on the desktop; pinch to zoom and pan. Pop the screen out into a floating Picture-in-Picture window to keep an eye on it while you use other apps. Turn on Control to tap, drag, and type — enough to unlock a locked Mac and take over. It stays view-only until you do, and it connects only to the machine you enter. (Beta.) ZERO DATA COLLECTION No analytics, no accounts, no crash SDKs, no servers of ours. The App Privacy label says "Data Not Collected" because there is nothing to collect it with. The only network traffic is your own connections to machines you configure. SUPPORT THE APP An optional tip jar lets you support a+Terminal's development. Tips are one-time and unlock nothing — every feature is always available. • ed25519 keys generated on-device, stored in the Keychain (never exportable, never in backups) • Password authentication option, stored in the Keychain only • Trust-on-first-use host key pinning with hard mismatch failures • Sticky Ctrl and C-b (tmux prefix) keys, Esc/Tab/arrows accessory bar • Attach an image or file from your phone over the existing SSH connection • Plug-and-play agent & multiplexer profiles — any CLI agent, tmux, zellij, screen — or define your own, no update required • Multiple simultaneous sessions with server groups • Preview a dev server running on the far end, over the SSH connection you already have — port detection and a single-port viewer • Monitor (VNC): view-only screen sharing for your own Mac, with a floating Picture-in-Picture window and optional touch & keyboard control (beta) • Light, dark, and follow-system themes Privacy Policy: https://aaroncx.github.io/a-plus-terminal/privacy

Screenshots

TermLink4 screens
a+Terminal4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is iOS requirement: TermLink at 16.0 against a+Terminal's 26.0. On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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. TermLink sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and a+Terminal sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

TermLink ships an update every 5 days, a+Terminal every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard1 real difference · 8 level
TermLink versus a+Terminal: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterTermLinka+Terminal
PriceFreeFree
Rating—5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Number of ratings—1 — better
Update frequencyEvery 5 days — betterEvery 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
Monetization—Free
DevicesiPhoneiPhone
Requires iOS16.0 — better26.0
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB12 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKenichi NagamatsuAaron Character

In-app purchases

1 purchases

TermLink

One-time1
  • TermLink Pro$2.99
3 purchases

a+Terminal

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99

Questions

Is TermLink free?
TermLink is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is a+Terminal free?
a+Terminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Do TermLink or a+Terminal have ads?
Neither TermLink nor a+Terminal shows ads.
Which is updated more often, TermLink or a+Terminal?
TermLink ships an update every 5 days, and a+Terminal every 8 days. Most recently, TermLink was updated on October 7, 2026 and a+Terminal on October 6, 2026.

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