Motif vs pmosh
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Motif
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Motif is an SSH terminal, Codex client, and remote dev-session app for your own machines. Run the open-source motifd daemon on your Mac, Linux box, or any host, then connect from your iPhone or iPad to access terminal sessions, files, Git diffs, and Codex coding tasks wherever you are. Like “tmux attach” for your whole dev environment: • Codex workspace — open, resume, and manage coding tasks; follow plans and tool activity; handle approvals and questions; review edited files • Live PTY terminals — run multiple sessions, synced across attached clients • Browse the project file tree and open files • Review changes with a built-in Git diff • Connect directly, over Tailscale, or through an SSH tunnel • Secured with TLS and a single-user bearer token Codex runs on your own machine through your existing Codex setup. Motif does not host your code or terminal sessions. motifd is required and runs on your own machine. See the project page for setup instructions: https://tech.xiachufang.xyz/motif/
pmosh
This app provides an SSH terminal for mobile devices, connecting to your existing server's tmux sessions. It's designed for developers to manage command-line tools and shells remotely, ensuring session continuity between your device and server.
- Connects to remote tmux sessions via SSH
- On-device SSH key generation
- On-screen keyboard toolbar with special keys
- Supports external hardware keyboards
- Multiple tabs for separate tmux sessions
- No accounts or subscriptions required
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pmosh is an SSH terminal for iPhone and iPad that attaches to a tmux session on your own server using tmux's control mode, so the terminal you see on your phone is the same session running on your machine. It's built for developers who run tmux, shells, and command-line tools — including agentic coding tools like Claude Code — on servers or machines they already own and administer. pmosh doesn't provide any of that for you; it's a client that connects to infrastructure you already have. pmosh only connects to servers you configure. On first launch it generates an ed25519 SSH keypair on your device, stored in the iOS Keychain, and shows you the public key so you can add it to authorized_keys on your own server. You type in your host and username; nothing is pre-filled or bundled. There is no server component, no bundled credentials, and no third-party service in between. Features: - Attaches to a remote tmux session over SSH using tmux's control mode (tmux -CC), so output and session state stay in sync with the server - On-device ed25519 key generation — a unique keypair per install, kept in the iOS Keychain - On-screen keyboard toolbar with the keys terminal work needs but the iOS keyboard doesn't have: Esc, Ctrl, arrows, and tmux copy-mode scrolling - Works with an external hardware keyboard if you use one - Multiple tabs, each its own tmux session - No accounts, no sign-in, no subscriptions Privacy: pmosh does not collect analytics or usage data, and does not talk to any server other than the one you enter in setup. There is no account system and no data is sent to the developer or any third party. The only network connection the app makes is the SSH connection to your own server. Requirements: pmosh needs an SSH server you control, reachable from your device, with tmux installed on it. It is not a hosting service and does not include a server — you connect it to a server you already run.
Screenshots
Verdict
Motif and pmosh are too close to call on the numbers: across 6 compared parameters — price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Motif ships an update every 4 days, pmosh every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on September 28, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Motif | pmosh |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | — | 5.0 (1 ratings) — better |
| Number of ratings | — | 1 — better |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | Every 3 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | — | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 55 MB | 6 MB |
| Age rating | 17+ | 4+ |
| Developer | SlothEase | Robert Gruber |
In-app purchases
Motif
No in-app purchases
pmosh
No in-app purchases









