ChibyooShell vs Astra Shell
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side โ with what reviewers say about each.
ChibyooShell
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Professional SSH client and server monitor. Terminal, SFTP, Docker management and real-time metrics โ all in one app. ChibyooShell โ powerful SSH client and server monitoring tool for iOS professionals. CHIBYOO PRO Unlock all features: โ Unlimited servers โ Full access to all features Available as monthly, yearly or lifetime subscription. TERMINAL & SSH โ Full SSH terminal with xterm-256color support โ Ed25519, RSA, ECDSA key authentication โ Password and key-based login โ SSH key generation and management โ Fira Code, Menlo, SF Mono font support SERVER MONITORING โ Real-time CPU, RAM, disk and network metrics โ Per-core CPU usage โ Network interface stats with TX/RX graphs โ Disk I/O monitoring โ Active process list โ Server uptime and load average SFTP FILE MANAGER โ Browse, upload and download files โ Create, rename, delete files and folders โ Built-in text editor โ File permissions (chmod) โ Quick Look preview DOCKER & PODMAN โ Container list with real-time metrics โ Start, stop, restart, remove containers โ Container log viewer โ Per-container CPU and memory usage SECURITY โ All credentials stored in iOS Keychain โ Face ID / Touch ID protection โ SSH host key verification (TOFU) โ Optional iCloud sync via CloudKit PORT FORWARDING โ Local port forwarding via SSH tunnel CONNECTIVITY โ Citadel (modern SSH) + LibSSH2 fallback โ Auto-reconnect โ Configurable connection timeout Terms of Use: https://chibyoo.com/terms-chibyooshell/ Privacy Policy: https://chibyoo.com/privacy-policy-chibyooshell/
Astra Shell
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Astra Shell is a native terminal client designed for persistent remote work. Traditional remote terminals are tied to the current device and network. When a client restarts, the network disconnects, or you switch devices, you often need to reconnect and find your place again. Astra Shell keeps shells running on a remote host you control, so your Mac, iPhone, and iPad can return to the same terminal and continue from the existing context. Key features: โข Persistent remote shells Remote shells and their tasks continue running after the client disconnects. Reconnect to return to an existing terminal. โข Continue across devices Open the same shell from Mac, iPhone, or iPad to keep viewing and entering commands. โข Native terminal experience Supports common terminal modes, colors, wide characters, alternate screens, mouse input, paged history, and copy and paste. โข Remote files Browse remote directories, upload and download files, preview text, view transfer progress, and inspect Git status. โข Astra and SSH hosts Connect to a self-hosted Astra service over QUIC/TLS, or use standalone SSH/SFTP mode with a standard server. โข Private-key security SSH private keys are stored in Keychain. Host configurations and credentials can synchronize through iCloud Keychain when enabled. Astra mode requires the open-source astrad service on a host you own or manage, with an authorized public key configured. Standard SSH hosts do not require astrad. Installation instructions are available on the support website. Astra Shell contains no advertising or behavioral analytics. It does not send terminal commands, remote files, or SSH private keys to the developer.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is update cadence: Astra Shell at every 4 weeks against ChibyooShell's every 2 months. On price, ads, in-app purchases and device support there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price ยท Rating ยท Positive reviews ยท Number of ratings ยท Update frequency ยท Ads ยท In-app purchases ยท Monetization ยท Best chart rank ยท Devices ยท Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
ChibyooShell ships an update every 2 months, Astra Shell every 4 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 7, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | ChibyooShell | Astra Shell |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 4 weeks โ better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Devices | iPhone | iPhone, iPad โ better |
| Requires iOS | 17.6 | 17.0 โ better |
| Further details โ not scored | ||
| Size | 23 MB | 19 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Aleksandr Kolesnikov | ็ฅ ็ |
In-app purchases
ChibyooShell
No in-app purchases
Astra Shell
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is ChibyooShell free?
Is Astra Shell free?
Do ChibyooShell or Astra Shell have ads?
Which is updated more often, ChibyooShell or Astra Shell?
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