Tessera vs Orbit Moon Alpha
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Tessera
A fast, keyboard-first SSH, Mosh, and tmux terminal for iOS devices. It offers seamless session handoff between devices, robust tmux integration, and secure, private connections directly to your servers without any tracking.
- Keyboard-first SSH, Mosh, and tmux terminal
- Seamless session handoff between devices
- First-class tmux integration with auto-attach
- Mosh for persistent connections across network changes
- Hardware keyboard support with shortcuts and key legend
- Configurable swipe pad for quick access
- Remote file panel with native iOS sharing
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Tessera is a fast, keyboard-first SSH, Mosh, and tmux terminal for iPhone and iPad. It connects directly to servers you own or control — no middleman, no account, no tracking. MOVE BETWEEN YOUR DEVICES • Hand off a live session: start on iPad, pick it up on iPhone, then double-tap to take back control. The session keeps running either way. • Your focused session appears in the App Switcher and Dock on your other devices. • Nearby Setup copies your hosts, keys, and preferences to a new device directly over the local network — you choose exactly what to copy, both devices confirm a matching code, and each grant needs Face ID. • Or don't sync at all: choose whether sessions follow you or stay on each device. STAY CONNECTED • First-class tmux integration: auto-attach on connect, so a dropped connection never loses your work. • Native tmux windows as tabs, with real panes. • Mosh keeps your session alive across Wi-Fi ↔ cellular roaming and sleep/wake — pick up exactly where you left off. • Session restore brings your saved hosts and layout back after relaunch. BUILT FOR TOUCH AND KEYBOARD • First-class hardware-keyboard support: shortcuts, a key legend (⌘ hold), and careful handling of modifier keys for real terminal work. • A configurable swipe pad puts arrows, Esc, Ctrl and your own macros in the thumb zone. • Mouse and trackpad support, including scrolling that works. • Find-in-terminal, themes, and adjustable fonts and appearance. • Optional on-device dictation straight into the terminal. FILES, PORTS, AND JUMP HOSTS • A remote file panel that tracks your shell's current directory, over SSH and mosh alike — with native iOS sharing to move files and images in and out. • Local port forwarding with a live tunnels overview. • Jump hosts for servers you can only reach through a bastion. PRIVATE BY DEFAULT • Tessera has no servers, no analytics, and collects no data. Connections go directly from your iOS devices to your machines. SECURITY YOU EXPECT • Keys are generated and stored in the iOS Keychain; Secure Enclave–backed keys never leave your device and can require Face ID to use. • Host-key verification with a persistent known-hosts store. • App lock with Face ID / passcode on launch, background return, and idle timeout. OPEN SOURCE • Tessera is free software (GPL-3.0). The full source code is available at github.com/bambouville/tessera. Tessera requires servers you provide — it is a client, not a hosting service. Mosh and tmux features require mosh/tmux installed on the server.
Orbit Moon Alpha
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Orbit Moon Alpha is an AI orchestration nexus that unifies advanced AI workspaces, modular tools, and adaptive multi-model workflows. Key features: - AI Agent workspace for productivity tasks - Agent Mode for structured research and information workflows - File, image, and audio upload support - Voice input for faster task creation - Kepler workspace access for account, task, and workspace management - Knowledge, media, and workflow-oriented workspace areas - Account management
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Orbit Moon Alpha at none against Tessera's 1. Orbit Moon Alpha also leads on iOS requirement (15.6 vs 17.0). Tessera's advantage is update cadence (every 4 days vs every 2 months). On price, 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
Both are free to download. Tessera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Orbit Moon Alpha asks for nothing beyond the download.
Tessera ships an update every 4 days, Orbit Moon Alpha every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 4, 2026 and September 11, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Tessera | Orbit Moon Alpha |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (2 ratings) — better | — |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | — |
| Number of ratings | 2 — better | — |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days — better | Every 2 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | Yes | No — better |
| Monetization | Free | — |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 15.6 — better |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 26 MB | 4 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | Bambouville Inc. | ORBITMOONALPHA LLC |
In-app purchases
Tessera
- Unlimited Saved Hosts$9.99
Orbit Moon Alpha
No in-app purchases





