Comparison

a+Terminal vs ArloLite

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

Head to head
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

About

ArloLite

Features
Read full description

Arlo Lite is a free, open-source iOS client for interacting with large language models. Bring your own API key and talk directly to the provider — no middleman server, no account, no subscription. SUPPORTED PROVIDERS • OpenAI — Chat Completions & Responses API • Anthropic — Claude via Messages API • Local Inference — Ollama, llama.cpp, vLLM, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint KEY FEATURES • Real-time streaming with token-by-token display • Rich Markdown rendering with syntax-highlighted code blocks • Session management — switch models mid-conversation, rename, resume • Thinking effort controls — adjust reasoning depth per session • Per-turn and per-session cost tracking • System prompt library — save and reuse your favorite prompts • iCloud backup for chat history (text only, keys never leave your device) PRIVACY BY DESIGN • API keys stored exclusively in the iOS Keychain • No backend server — all calls go direct to the provider • No telemetry, no analytics, no tracking • No account or sign-up required • Offline read access to past conversations BUILT FOR POWER USERS Arlo Lite is designed for developers and AI enthusiasts who want a clean, fast interface for daily-driving LLM APIs. Light/dark/system appearance, Dynamic Type support, and VoiceOver accessibility built in. 100% open source. MIT licensed. Contributions welcome on GitHub.

Screenshots

a+Terminal4 screens
ArloLite3 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: ArloLite at none against a+Terminal's 3. ArloLite also leads on device support (3 vs 1) and iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, update cadence and ads 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. a+Terminal sells 3 one-off in-app purchases. ArloLite asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

a+Terminal ships an update every 8 days, ArloLite every 10 days. The most recent releases landed on October 6, 2026 and October 7, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 6 level
a+Terminal versus ArloLite: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
Parametera+TerminalArloLite
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 8 days — betterEvery 10 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size12 MB25 MB
Age rating4+12+
DeveloperAaron CharacterChang KaiChieh

In-app purchases

3 purchases

a+Terminal

One-time3
  • Small Tip$1.99
  • Medium Tip$4.99
  • Large Tip$9.99
None

ArloLite

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is a+Terminal free?
a+Terminal is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is ArloLite free?
ArloLite is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do a+Terminal or ArloLite have ads?
Neither a+Terminal nor ArloLite shows ads.
Which is updated more often, a+Terminal or ArloLite?
a+Terminal ships an update every 8 days, and ArloLite every 10 days. Most recently, a+Terminal was updated on October 6, 2026 and ArloLite on October 7, 2026.

Other comparisons