Comparison

GateShell vs afk

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

Head to head
About

GateShell

This app provides a secure and private SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client that runs entirely on-device. It offers advanced terminal features, server management dashboards, and file editing capabilities, all without relying on external servers or tracking user data.

Highlights
  • Zero-backend SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client
  • On-device credential management
  • Native Mosh with persistent sessions
  • Server management dashboards (Docker, DBs, etc.)
  • SFTP file transfer with background retry
  • Built-in code editor with syntax highlighting
  • AI coding agent integration
Features
Read full description

GateShell is an SSH, Mosh, and SFTP client, and a full server command center. Your servers, your keys, your device, nothing in between. No backend, no relays, no tracking. PRIVATE BY DESIGN • Zero backend. GateShell runs entirely on-device. There's no server to breach because there is no server. • Credentials live in the hardware-encrypted Apple Keychain, or on Secure Enclave keys that never leave your device, not even as an export. • No analytics, no telemetry. We don't know who you are or what you connect to. CONNECT, AND STAY CONNECTED • Native Mosh, with encrypted UDP and predictive local echo. Change networks, close the lid, come back hours later: your session is still there. • Jump hosts reach private servers through a bastion, with per-hop auth and host-key checks. • Import your ~/.ssh/config, or bulk-import servers from CSV. • SSH, Mosh, and Telnet, with automatic SSH fallback when UDP is blocked. SECURE CONNECTIONS • Verified host keys, pinned per server, with a warning the instant one changes. • Generate ed25519, P-256, RSA, or Secure Enclave hardware-backed keys, or import a PuTTY .ppk, including Argon2-encrypted ones. • Security Assistant scans for missing updates, exposed listeners, weak SSH policy, firewall gaps, and expiring certificates. Every finding shows its evidence, and guided fixes run allow-listed commands only after you approve them. • Face ID / Touch ID lock keeps your servers safe even if your device isn't. A REAL TERMINAL • Full XTerm-256 color terminal with fullscreen, scrollback search, and a customizable toolbar. • Two- and four-pane terminals with optional input broadcast. • 32 themes, bundled Nerd Fonts, custom font import, and named keyboard layouts. • Command snippets with ${VAR} prompts, run across many hosts at once. MANAGE THE WHOLE SERVER • 20+ built-in dashboards: Docker, PostgreSQL, MySQL, MongoDB, Redis, Nginx, Caddy, Traefik, Firewall, Cron, PM2, WireGuard, Fail2Ban and more. Each one shows the status and acts on it. • Fleet broadcasts one command to every server at once. • Live health monitoring with restart, logs, and failure alerts. • Install the optional open-source agent on your own server for metric history and push alerts when a service drops, a disk fills, or a cron job fails. It runs on your box, not ours. FILES & CODE • Upload and download over SFTP with progress tracking and background retry. • Show your servers in the Files app, and open remote files like local ones. • Built-in editor with syntax highlighting and find/replace for 13+ languages. • Git on the go: status, stage, commit, and review diffs. • App Preview opens your dev server right in the app, tunneled over your existing SSH connection. BRING YOUR OWN CODING AGENT • Start, resume, and interrupt Claude Code, Codex, or Gemini CLI in any project on your server, straight from the terminal. • It runs under your account, with your CLI. GateShell never proxies it and never sees your provider keys. AI THAT STAYS ON THE DEVICE • Describe what you want in plain English, and GateShell composes the command on-device via Apple Intelligence. • Long output gets an instant, structured summary with error and warning counts. • A multi-step agent proposes a plan and runs it, with your approval on every step. • Automatic secret redaction and a risk warning before dangerous commands run. AT A GLANCE • Home Screen and Lock Screen widgets for quick connect, server health, and your last session, plus a Live Activity that tracks the connection you're on. SYNC EVERYWHERE • iCloud syncs your servers, snippets, and known hosts across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, end-to-end encrypted. Free to start. Pro unlocks unlimited servers, SFTP, Mosh, port forwarding, the full dashboard suite, and more. On-device AI features require a device that supports Apple Intelligence. Terms of Use: https://gateshell.com/terms Privacy Policy: https://gateshell.com/privacy

About

afk

Features
Read full description

Keep coding where you already do. "afk" connects the AI coding agents running in your existing setup — Claude Code, Codex, and more — to your phone. No new IDE. No new workflow. Keep using your editor and terminal as usual, and use "afk" when you step away. - Get notified when your AI finishes, fails, or needs your input. - Approve requests and answer questions from your phone. - Check active sessions and see what your AI is working on. - Send new tasks remotely and review the results. - Stay connected to your computer wherever you are. Your tools and code stay on your computer. "afk" simply gives you a way to stay in control from your phone. Install "afk" on your computer and pair your phone to get started: afkremote.com/install

Screenshots

GateShell4 screens
afk4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: afk at none against GateShell's 2. afk also leads on update cadence (fortnightly vs every 5 weeks) and iOS requirement (15.0 vs 17.0). On price, ads 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. GateShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. afk asks for nothing beyond the download.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

GateShell ships an update every 5 weeks, afk fortnightly. The most recent releases landed on October 25, 2026 and November 1, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard3 real differences · 7 level
GateShell versus afk: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterGateShellafk
PriceFreeFree
Rating5.0 (1 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings1 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 5 weeksFortnightly — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFreemium—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac — betteriPhone, iPod
Requires iOS17.015.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size52 MB7 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperHEFTY INNOVATIONSSu Il Lee

In-app purchases

2 purchases

GateShell

Subscriptions2
  • GateShell Pro Monthly$0.991 Month
  • GateShell Pro Yearly$9.991 Year
None

afk

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is GateShell free?
GateShell is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is afk free?
afk is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do GateShell or afk have ads?
Neither GateShell nor afk shows ads.
Which is updated more often, GateShell or afk?
GateShell ships an update every 5 weeks, and afk fortnightly. Most recently, GateShell was updated on October 25, 2026 and afk on November 1, 2026.

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