Comparison

Pier Shell vs OrbitSSH

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

Head to head
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.

About

OrbitSSH

Features
Read full description

OrbitSSH is a modern SSH and SFTP client for iPhone and iPad. Connect directly to the servers you manage and work from a focused mobile terminal. TERMINAL WORKFLOW β€’ Open SSH sessions in tabs or Split View β€’ Use tmux sessions and terminal tools built for touch β€’ Save server groups, startup directories, commands, and snippets FILES AND SERVER INSIGHT β€’ Browse and manage remote files over SFTP β€’ Monitor server metrics and view containers β€’ Keep several servers organized in one place PRIVATE BY DESIGN β€’ Connections go directly from your device to your servers β€’ Passwords and private keys stay in the iOS Keychain β€’ Host-key changes are detected and shown to you β€’ Optional Face ID app lock protects saved servers β€’ Voice input and smart formatting use on-device Apple features OrbitSSH has no account, no ads, and no tracking. Use it with your compatible SSH servers. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Pier Shell4 screens
OrbitSSH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is in-app purchases: Pier Shell at none against OrbitSSH's 2. OrbitSSH's advantage is iOS requirement (18.6 vs 26.5). On price, ads and device support 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. OrbitSSH sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $99.99 per year. Pier Shell asks for nothing beyond the download.

Scorecard2 real differences Β· 4 level
Pier Shell versus OrbitSSH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPier ShellOrbitSSH
PriceFreeFree
Update frequencyEvery 8 daysβ€”
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNo β€” betterYes
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Mac β€” betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS26.518.6 β€” better
Further details β€” not scored
Size12 MB18 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMuhamad Nur AsyraafDaniel Dobrowolski

In-app purchases

None

Pier Shell

No in-app purchases

2 purchases

OrbitSSH

Subscriptions1
  • OrbitSSH Pro Annual14 Days trial$99.991 Year
One-time1
  • OrbitSSH Pro Lifetime$499.99

Questions

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

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