Comparison

PVE Admin vs XCTL

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

Head to head
About

PVE Admin

Manage your Proxmox VE cluster from your iPhone or iPad. Monitor nodes, VMs, and containers, access their consoles, and manage backups and storage. Receive push notifications for cluster events.

Highlights
  • Cluster dashboard
  • VM/container management
  • Integrated console
  • Snapshot and backup management
  • Storage browsing
  • Task tracking
  • Push notifications
Features
Read full description

PVE Admin puts your Proxmox VE cluster in your pocket. Monitor and manage your nodes, virtual machines, and containers from iPhone and iPad — wherever you are. FEATURES • Dashboard — cluster health at a glance: nodes online, running guests, CPU and memory load. • Virtual machines & containers — start, stop, reboot, shut down, create, clone, migrate, and delete, with live CPU, memory, disk, and network charts. • In-app console — a real terminal to containers and nodes, a graphical console for VMs, no SSH client needed. • Snapshots & backups — create and roll back snapshots, run and schedule backups, and restore. • Live Activities — backup, restore, clone, migrate, and downloads with progress on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. • Widget — nodes, running guests, and load on the Home Screen without opening the app. • Network configuration — edit bridges, VLAN tags, IP, gateway, and firewall per interface. • Node maintenance — check and install available package updates, services, disks with SMART data, and ZFS pools. • System log — follow a node's journal live. • Storage — browse storages, ISOs, templates, disks, and backups; download and clean up. • Tasks — follow cluster tasks with live, streaming logs. • Pending-reboot indicator — see exactly which config changes are waiting for a restart. • Access management — users, groups, roles, permissions, API tokens, realms, and two-factor. • Firewall, resource pools, high availability, and replication. • Push notifications — cluster events by severity, including finished backups and available updates. SECURITY & PRIVACY • Certificate pinning, API-token or ticket login, and TOTP two-factor authentication. • Face ID / Touch ID app lock. • Anonymous, opt-out usage analytics — no account, no tracking. PVE Admin is not affiliated with Proxmox Server Solutions GmbH.

About

XCTL

Features
Read full description

XCTL is the official mobile console for operators who manage their own XCTL deployment. Instead of opening a desktop browser, you can run day-to-day operations and monitoring from your iPhone or iPad. WHO IT’S FOR • Platform administrators with an existing XCTL instance • Teams that need on-the-go visibility into hosts, nodes, and sync jobs • Tenant admins managing users, groups, and business configuration This app is an administration tool only. It does not provide proxy or VPN client functionality. You must have a reachable XCTL console URL and a valid administrator account. OVERVIEW & MONITORING • Dashboard with live platform and host health metrics • Traffic and bandwidth charts to track resource usage over time • Quick visibility into online status, heartbeats, and recent activity NETWORK MANAGEMENT • Logical nodes: create, edit, and bind hosts • Node groups for organizing your infrastructure • Protocol templates and protocol catalog • Config sync queue to track pending and completed pushes HOST OPERATIONS • Server list with status, heartbeat, and connectivity monitoring • Guided provisioning: SSH pre-check, remote install, and configuration • Host groups for batch organization • SSH credentials and certificate management • Online Client upgrades and remote maintenance actions BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION • Tenants, users, and user groups • Role-based access so each account sees only permitted modules SYSTEM & SECURITY • Audit logs and system events • Platform settings and personal account management • Connect via QR scan or manual URL entry • Switch between multiple saved console endpoints • Light and dark appearance, with system-wide or manual theme • English and Simplified Chinese interface PRIVACY & SECURITY Sign-in credentials are stored in the system secure enclave (Keychain). App preferences remain on your device. The app does not collect personal data unrelated to your Master connection. REQUIREMENTS • A self-hosted or privately operated XCTL Master console • Network access to your Master endpoint • Administrator credentials issued by your platform SUPPORT Official website: https://xctl.cc For account or deployment questions, contact your platform administrator or visit the website above.

Screenshots

PVE Admin4 screens
XCTL4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: PVE Admin at fortnightly against XCTL's every 2 months. XCTL's advantage is iOS requirement (15.1 vs 26.0). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

PVE Admin ships an update fortnightly, XCTL every 2 months. Both last shipped on September 18, 2026.

Scorecard2 real differences · 7 level
PVE Admin versus XCTL: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPVE AdminXCTL
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyFortnightly — betterEvery 2 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree—
DevicesiPhone, iPadiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS26.015.1 — better
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB32 MB
Age rating4+17+
Developerapply IT UG (haftungsbeschraenkt)SmartBuildGo Inc

In-app purchases

None

PVE Admin

No in-app purchases

None

XCTL

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PVE Admin free?
PVE Admin is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is XCTL free?
XCTL is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do PVE Admin or XCTL have ads?
Neither PVE Admin nor XCTL shows ads.
Which is updated more often, PVE Admin or XCTL?
PVE Admin ships an update fortnightly, and XCTL every 2 months. Most recently, PVE Admin was updated on September 18, 2026 and XCTL on September 18, 2026.

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