BalauDeck vs 8Terminal
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
BalauDeck
Manage your servers with this all-in-one client. It supports SSH, SFTP, tunnels, and MySQL/MariaDB databases, offering a real interactive shell and file browser. Features include split panes, resilient connections, and cross-device sync for seamless server management.
- SSH terminal with interactive shell
- SFTP browser with file management
- SSH tunnel port forwarding
- MySQL/MariaDB client with SQL editor
- Split panes and full-screen modes
- Resilient connections with auto-reconnect
- Cross-device sync for connections
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BalauDeck is an all-in-one client for the servers you already run — SSH, SFTP, SSH tunnels, and MySQL/MariaDB — in one fast, native app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. • SSH terminal — a real interactive shell (xterm), password or key auth, host-key verification, and an on-screen key bar for the keys phones don't have. • SFTP browser — upload, download, rename, delete, mkdir, and change permissions (chmod), with an option to browse elevated. • SSH tunnels — forward a local port through a server to reach an internal service. • MySQL/MariaDB client — schema browser, SQL editor with highlighting, a results grid you can edit inline, table designer, and SQL import/export. • Split panes & full screen — arrange several sessions side by side, or maximize one to fill the display. • Resilient connections — keepalive detects drops, with reconnect and optional tmux session persistence so you pick up exactly where you left off. • Cross-device sync — export an encrypted, passphrase-protected bundle of your connections and import it on another device. Nothing is stored on our servers. Your connections and credentials stay on your device (passwords and keys live in the system keychain). BalauDeck has no account, no tracking, and no ads.
8Terminal
This app provides a secure SSH workspace for managing multiple terminal sessions and hosts across Apple devices. It offers SFTP file transfers, an encrypted local vault for credentials, and optional AI assistance for command preparation. Security is a core focus, with explicit user approval required for commands and host key changes.
- Manage multiple SSH sessions
- SFTP file transfers
- Encrypted local host vault
- Cross-device vault sync (Pro)
- Live Activities for mobile sessions
- AI-assisted command preparation
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8Terminal is an SSH client for iPhone and iPad that needs no account. Your hosts, keys and passwords live in an encrypted vault on your device — there is nothing to sign up for and no server of ours in between. TERMINAL • Native SSH, built in — not a wrapper around another client • GPU-accelerated terminal with a key row for Esc, Ctrl, Alt, Tab, arrows, Shift-Tab, Home, End, Page Up/Down and F1–F12 • Hardware keyboard on iPad: Esc, Tab, Ctrl keys, Cmd+T, Cmd+W and Cmd+1–9 • Several sessions at once, with a Live Activity that shows when a coding agent is waiting — and Return, Ctrl-C and Reconnect buttons • Reconnects when you come back, and reattaches your tmux or zellij session • Paste a screenshot straight into the terminal; its location data is removed first • Find in the terminal, and open https links after you confirm • Send a saved password into a prompt with Face ID — it never touches the clipboard HOSTS AND KEYS • Password, key and two-factor keyboard-interactive sign-in; Ed25519, ECDSA and RSA keys in OpenSSH and PuTTY formats • Generate a key on the phone and install it on a host in one step • OpenSSH certificates from your CA • A key kept in the Secure Enclave, used with Face ID for every sign-in • Agent forwarding that asks you before every signature • Chains of up to four jump hosts, and environment variables per host • Unknown host keys ask first; a changed host key blocks the connection • Post-quantum key exchange (mlkem768x25519-sha256) with servers that offer it SFTP AND TUNNELS • Browse, upload and download over the connection you already opened • Folders, permissions, Quick Look and Share, keep both or replace • An interrupted transfer resumes where it stopped • Local, remote and dynamic (SOCKS5) port forwarding WIDGETS AND SHORTCUTS • A Home Screen widget with your recent hosts • Shortcuts to connect to a host, run a snippet (after you review it) or start a tunnel ENCRYPTED VAULT, ON YOUR TERMS • Argon2id and XChaCha20-Poly1305; unlock with Face ID or your master password • Several vaults if you keep work and home apart • Back up to your own iCloud Drive or Google Drive, or export one file — free • Import hosts from MobaXterm, PuTTY, Tabby and your OpenSSH config; export and import readable JSON without secrets AI ASSISTANT, YOUR KEY • Bring your own OpenAI, Anthropic, OpenRouter or compatible key; it stays on this device • By default you choose what it reads, and a command it suggests runs only after you approve it, exactly once • Optional Auto mode, off until you turn it on: give it a goal and it runs read-only checks on your Linux server by itself, without touching your terminal, and asks before anything that changes the server • In Auto mode what those checks print is sent to your AI provider. Your passwords, keys and vault are never sent, and you agree before the first run • Stop ends a run at once 8TERMINAL PRO — $5.99 ONCE • End-to-end encrypted vault sync between your iPhone, iPad and Mac, through your own cloud • Link a new device with a verification code • One purchase covers every device on your Apple Account and your Family Sharing group. No subscription. Everything else in 8Terminal is free, on every device, with no time limit. PRIVACY No account, no tracking, no analytics. Crash reports stay off until you turn them on, and never contain hostnames, usernames, terminal output or anything from your vault. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is in-app purchases: BalauDeck at none against 8Terminal's 1. BalauDeck also leads on iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). 8Terminal's advantage is update cadence (every 2 days vs every 5 days). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. 8Terminal sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. BalauDeck asks for nothing beyond the download.
On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 5.0 for BalauDeck against 5.0 for 8Terminal. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 1 and 1 respectively.
BalauDeck ships an update every 5 days, 8Terminal every 2 days. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | BalauDeck | 8Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 5.0 (1 ratings) | 5.0 (1 ratings) |
| Number of ratings | 1 | 1 |
| Update frequency | Every 5 days | Every 2 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac — better | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Requires iOS | 15.0 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 39 MB | 59 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | OKDII SOLUTIONS | Milos Vesic |
Customer experience
BalauDeck
8Terminal
In-app purchases
BalauDeck
No in-app purchases
8Terminal
- 8Terminal Pro Lifetime$5.99





