Comparison

iTerm2 Buddy vs Open Screen Sharing

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

Head to head
About

iTerm2 Buddy

This app allows you to remotely monitor and interact with your iTerm2 terminal sessions on macOS from your iPhone or iPad. It offers live terminal viewing, input control, and AI assistance for executing commands and managing your sessions securely.

Highlights
  • Live terminal session viewing
  • Remote command input and control
  • AI agent for session management
  • Push notifications for agent replies
  • Voice input with on-device transcription
  • End-to-end encrypted communication
Features
Read full description

iTerm2 Buddy connects your iPhone or iPad to iTerm2, the popular terminal for macOS. Once paired with your Mac, it lets you keep an eye on your terminal and act on it from the couch or on the go. REQUIRES A MAC iTerm2 Buddy is a companion app. It works only after pairing with iTerm2 and the free companion plugin on your Mac. Pairing takes a few seconds: your Mac shows a QR code, you scan it, and confirm a short code on both devices. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Live terminal: watch a session update in real time, exactly as it looks on your Mac, including colors, inline images, and full-screen apps like vim, htop, and less. - Type and control: bring up a keyboard with the terminal keys you need (Esc, Control-C, Tab, arrows, function keys) and send input to a session. A composer lets you write longer commands and send them all at once. - Chat with an AI agent: message an assistant that runs on your Mac and can act on your sessions, open windows, run commands, review changes, and report back. Approve sensitive actions right from your phone. - Notifications: get a push when the agent replies or needs your approval, so you can step away and return when it matters. - Voice input: dictate messages with on-device transcription. Your audio never leaves your phone. PRIVACY AND SECURITY Terminal content shared between your Mac and your phone is end-to-end encrypted with the Noise protocol, so only your own devices can read it. There is no account and no advertising, and the app includes no third-party tracking. FREE iTerm2 and iTerm2 Buddy are free.

About

Open Screen Sharing

This remote desktop client facilitates screen sharing and remote access across various networks. It offers robust support for standard VNC and RDP protocols, making it a versatile tool for managing your devices from afar.

Highlights
  • Remote desktop client
  • Mac screen sharing
  • Public network optimization
  • VNC support
  • RDP support
  • Open-source
Features
Currently charting
Read full description

Open Screen Sharing is a free and open-source remote desktop client optimized for Mac screen sharing and public networks, while also offering first-class support for standard VNC and RDP.

Screenshots

iTerm2 Buddy4 screens
Open Screen Sharing1 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: Open Screen Sharing at 100% against iTerm2 Buddy's 0%. Open Screen Sharing also leads on rating (5.0 vs 2.8) and chart position (#137 vs unranked). iTerm2 Buddy's advantage is price (Free vs $1.99). On ratings volume, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases 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

iTerm2 Buddy is free to download; Open Screen Sharing costs $1.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

Open Screen Sharing holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 2.8. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 6 and 4 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 0% of iTerm2 Buddy's written reviews are positive against 100% of Open Screen Sharing's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 3 days. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 6, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 5 level
iTerm2 Buddy versus Open Screen Sharing: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameteriTerm2 BuddyOpen Screen Sharing
PriceFree — better$1.99
Rating2.8 (6 ratings)5.0 (4 ratings) — better
Positive reviews0.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings6 — better4
Update frequencyEvery 3 daysEvery 3 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
Best chart rank—#137 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size10 MB27 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperGEORGE NACHMANMetamerism LLC

Customer experience

iTerm2 Buddy

All ratings6 ratings
Positive33.3%
Neutral0.0%
Negative66.7%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Open Screen Sharing

All ratings3 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews2 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

iTerm2 Buddy

No in-app purchases

None

Open Screen Sharing

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is iTerm2 Buddy free?
iTerm2 Buddy is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Open Screen Sharing free?
Open Screen Sharing costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, iTerm2 Buddy or Open Screen Sharing?
Open Screen Sharing is rated higher. iTerm2 Buddy averages 2.8 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Open Screen Sharing averages 5.0 from 4 ratings.
Do iTerm2 Buddy or Open Screen Sharing have ads?
Neither iTerm2 Buddy nor Open Screen Sharing shows ads.
Which is updated more often, iTerm2 Buddy or Open Screen Sharing?
iTerm2 Buddy ships an update every 3 days, and Open Screen Sharing every 3 days. Most recently, iTerm2 Buddy was updated on November 5, 2026 and Open Screen Sharing on November 6, 2026.

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