# Tessera vs Retro Desktop Notes

The clearest difference is update cadence: Retro Desktop Notes at daily against Tessera's every 4 days. On price, rating, review sentiment and ratings volume there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Tessera sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Retro Desktop Notes sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for Tessera against 5.0 for Retro Desktop Notes. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 2 and 1 respectively. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

Tessera ships an update every 4 days, Retro Desktop Notes daily. The most recent releases landed on October 5, 2026 and October 1, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Tessera | Retro Desktop Notes |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [5.0 (2 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tessera-ssh-terminal/id6779869388/reviews) | [5.0 (1 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-desktop-notes/id6792271012/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **2** | 1 |
| Positive reviews | 100.0% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 4 days | **Daily** |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 26 MB | 15 MB |
| Requires iOS | 17.0 | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Bambouville Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/6779869390) | [MARIE MORIKAGE](https://appshunter.io/developer/1896645636) |

## What reviewers say

### Tessera

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/tessera-ssh-terminal/id6779869388)

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.

**Highlights:** 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

**Features:** macOS Compatibility

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Unlimited Saved Hosts | $9.99 | one-time |


### Retro Desktop Notes

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/retro-desktop-notes/id6792271012)

Experience a nostalgic note-taking app that brings the charm of classic desktop computers to your mobile device. Enjoy a distraction-free writing experience with retro themes and essential organizational tools.

**Highlights:** Retro desktop themes, Fast and simple editor, Automatic saving, Pin important notes, Instant search, Trash with restore

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Retroプレミアム | $1.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Tessera free?

Tessera is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is Retro Desktop Notes free?

Retro Desktop Notes is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Tessera or Retro Desktop Notes?

Tessera and Retro Desktop Notes are both rated 5.0 out of 5 on the App Store, from 2 and 1 ratings respectively.

### Do Tessera or Retro Desktop Notes have ads?

Neither Tessera nor Retro Desktop Notes shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Tessera or Retro Desktop Notes?

Tessera ships an update every 4 days, and Retro Desktop Notes daily. Most recently, Tessera was updated on October 5, 2026 and Retro Desktop Notes on October 1, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*