Comparison

SimpleSSH vs Plainly

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

Head to head
About

SimpleSSH

This app provides a streamlined way to interact with SSH servers from your iPhone and iPad. Execute commands with a single tap, browse files, and view logs with a user-friendly interface. It's designed for quick access to server information when you're on the go.

Highlights
  • Execute commands with one tap
  • Manage commands in groups
  • View and export colored command results
  • Browse and export text files
  • Primitive terminal for command testing
  • Private key or password authentication
Features
Read full description

SimpleSSH is a powerful tool tailored for your needs when working with SSH servers on your iPhone and iPad. When you’re on the go, most often you don’t want to work a lot in the shell. You simply want to execute a command or view a log file to see what’s going on. SimpleSSH makes SSH easy and comfortable by tailoring it for your needs. ⁃ Simple and intuitive User Interface ⁃ Commands Execute commands with a single tap Manage commands with groups View and Export colored command results Get more commands from the Script Library ⁃ Terminal         Primitive terminal to test your commands Colored Shell output View and Export Shell Log Tab, Ctrl and Arrow Up/Down, Left and Right keys ⁃ File Viewer Browse files and folders easily View and export text files on the SSH server ⁃ Bright and Dark User Interface ⁃ Authentication via private key or password ⁃ Private key import through iTunes or other apps ⁃ No ads, banners or in app purchases - you get everything for the price you pay! Do you want to see a new feature in SimpleSSH? Contact us within the app, tweet @simpleSSH or send us an email to support@hirmer.me. We’re happy to take SimpleSSH on the next level with you!

About

Plainly

Experience web browsing without distractions. This app offers a clean, full-screen interface with minimal controls, allowing you to focus solely on content. It includes features like quick tab switching, passcode protection for privacy, and dark mode.

Highlights
  • Full-screen browsing experience
  • Intuitive tab switching
  • Buttonless interface option
  • Passcode protection for privacy
  • Dark mode support
  • Quick history clearing
Features
Read full description

Plainly is a web browser for browsing your favorite web sites full-screen. No address bars, no toolbars, no status bars – just a small button at the bottom of your screen. - Tap the Plainly button at the bottom of the screen to switch tabs and access navigation options - Two button modes: draggable mode lets you move the Plainly button to wherever you want; quick-switching mode lets you switch between tabs by swiping left and right on the Plainly button. - Buttonless full-screen: Tap and hold with two fingers to completely hide the Plainly button. - Passcode protection: Require a passcode for browsing privately. Plainly will also hide what you're looking at in the app switcher. - And more! Quickly clear browsing history; shortcuts support for launching Plainly on a given tab; pop-up support for websites that require them; and dark mode.

Screenshots

SimpleSSH4 screens
Plainly4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is update cadence: SimpleSSH at every 3 weeks against Plainly's every 9 months. SimpleSSH also leads on iOS requirement (7.0 vs 16.6). Plainly's advantage is review sentiment (75% vs 58%) and price ($0.99 vs $1.99). On ads, in-app purchases, monetization model 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

SimpleSSH costs $1.99 and Plainly $0.99 up front. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

SimpleSSH ships an update every 3 weeks, Plainly every 9 months. The most recent releases landed on October 21, 2026 and October 10, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 6 level
SimpleSSH versus Plainly: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterSimpleSSHPlainly
Price$1.99$0.99 — better
Rating3.4 (42 ratings) — better—
Positive reviews57.8% of reviews75.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings42 — better—
Update frequencyEvery 3 weeks — betterEvery 9 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationPaidPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod — betteriPhone, iPad
Requires iOS7.0 — better16.6
Further details — not scored
Size6 MB1 MB
Age rating4+17+
DeveloperBenedikt HirmerJustin Cheng

Customer experience

SimpleSSH

All ratings42 ratings
Positive59.5%
Neutral4.8%
Negative35.7%
Written reviews90 reviews
Positive57.8%
Neutral8.9%
Negative33.3%

Plainly

Written reviews4 reviews
Positive75.0%
Neutral25.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

SimpleSSH

Reported bugs

23 issues
  • Handshake failed SSH connection
  • App constantly crashing
  • App crashes when clicking commands
  • Command history doesn't work (up arrow)
  • App crashes when executing a script
Show 18 more
  • App freezes and closes on command execution
  • App crashes in terminal mode
  • Fails to connect via SSH
  • Can't display htop
  • Freezes when running vi
  • Soft keyboard gets stuck
  • Pasting previous history
  • Nano editor fails to render
  • Cannot type commands
  • iOS 10 input issues
  • Keyboard unusable after 'top' command
  • Screen doesn't scale vertically
  • Doesn't work with on-demand VPN
  • Ctrl keys messed up with iPad Pro keyboard
  • First few lines of output hidden
  • File viewer crashes
  • Tab stops not implemented
  • No ESC key

Requested features

9 requests
  • Update the app
  • Add fingerprint validation
  • Improve iPad Pro keyboard support
  • Add upload/download capabilities
  • Sync scripts/SSH keys using iCloud/Dropbox
Show 4 more
  • Option to change font color & size
  • More color options
  • Dark background in terminal mode
  • Custom icons on home page to trigger app actions

Plainly

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

SimpleSSH

No in-app purchases

None

Plainly

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is SimpleSSH free?
SimpleSSH costs $1.99, with no in-app purchases.
Is Plainly free?
Plainly costs $0.99, with no in-app purchases.
Do SimpleSSH or Plainly have ads?
Neither SimpleSSH nor Plainly shows ads.
Which is updated more often, SimpleSSH or Plainly?
SimpleSSH ships an update every 3 weeks, and Plainly every 9 months. Most recently, SimpleSSH was updated on October 21, 2026 and Plainly on October 10, 2026.

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