Comparison

Sandbox Relay vs Pier Shell

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

Head to head
About

Sandbox Relay

Features
Read full description

For developers who run Claude Code or Codex in Docker Sandbox, Sandbox Relay is the phone client for driving that agent. It is a companion, not a standalone app: it needs a broker you run, with an agent connected behind it. Kick off a task from the train, check on a long-running job from the couch, or steer the agent while you are away from your desk. Docker Sandbox runs each agent in its own isolated micro VM. A small broker you self-host sits in the middle: you send work from your phone, the broker passes it to the agent, and the streamed reply comes back. Your infrastructure, your agent. The app is just the remote. New to this setup? The app's support page explains how it works and what you need to run it. WHAT YOU CAN DO - Connect to your broker with a URL and a bearer token. Connections use HTTPS, with plain HTTP allowed only for local-network addresses. - See every connected agent at a glance, with live online/offline status. - Send the agent work and watch its reply stream in token by token. Stop a turn mid-stream, or start a fresh thread whenever you want. - When an agent goes offline, its thread stays readable as history. - See per-turn input and output token counts when the broker reports them. - Save reusable prompts as local notes, organised by hierarchical tags like #work/project/feature. Drill down by tag, copy a note straight into a thread, or link a note to the thread it came from. Notes live on your device only; they never touch the broker. WHAT YOU NEED - A broker you run, reachable from your phone (over your local network, or remotely through a tunnel or private network you control). - A coding agent, Claude Code or Codex, running in Docker Sandbox and connected to that broker. PRIVACY Sandbox Relay talks only to the broker you configure. Your access token is stored securely on your device and sent only to that broker, to authenticate you; it never goes to the developer or any third party. Your notes stay on your device and are never sent anywhere. No third-party analytics, no account to create. Note that the app streams whatever your agent outputs, verbatim.

About

Pier Shell

Features
Read full description

No separate account required Pier works with your existing iCloud account to keep supported data synchronized across your Apple devices. There’s no Pier registration, username, or password to manage. Pier is a native SSH and SFTP client built for developers who want a simple, fast way to access their servers from iPhone and Mac. Add your hosts once and keep them synced privately through iCloud. Connect to production, staging, personal servers, Raspberry Pis, and more without rebuilding your setup on every device. Pier is designed to feel at home on Apple platforms, with a clean native interface, fast terminal performance, and secure key handling.

Screenshots

Sandbox Relay4 screens
Pier Shell4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is device support: Pier Shell at 3 against Sandbox Relay's 1. Sandbox Relay's advantage is iOS requirement (16.4 vs 26.5). On price, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price Β· Rating Β· Positive reviews Β· Number of ratings Β· Update frequency Β· Ads Β· In-app purchases Β· Monetization Β· Best chart rank Β· Devices Β· Requires iOS

CostPrice Β· In-app purchases Β· Ads Β· Monetization

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

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Sandbox Relay versus Pier Shell: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSandbox RelayPier Shell
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyβ€”Every 8 days
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” better
Requires iOS16.4 β€” better26.5
Further details β€” not scored
Size32 MB12 MB
Age rating12+4+
DeveloperEric BoumendilMuhamad Nur Asyraaf

In-app purchases

None

Sandbox Relay

No in-app purchases

None

Pier Shell

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Sandbox Relay free?
Sandbox Relay is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Pier Shell free?
Pier Shell is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Do Sandbox Relay or Pier Shell have ads?
Neither Sandbox Relay nor Pier Shell shows ads.

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