Dataplicity vs SimplePi for Raspberry Pi
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Dataplicity
Access your Raspberry Pi shell remotely from any network without complex configurations like dynamic DNS or port forwarding. This secure solution uses a client-initiated connection, eliminating the need for SSH or open ports on your device.
- Remote shell access
- No dynamic DNS needed
- No port forwarding required
- Works behind NAT/firewalls
- Secure websockets connection
- No SSH required
- Agent runs without root
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Dataplicity helps teams support connected Linux devices after they ship, wherever the work happens. Use the Dataplicity iOS app to find the right device, check live status, and take the next support action without going back to a laptop. With Dataplicity you can: - Search enrolled devices by name or ID - See current device status at a glance - Review service endpoint, heartbeat, user impact, and device monitor signals - Acknowledge or escalate open incidents - Confirm fixes when work is complete - Open terminal access for a selected device when shell access is the fastest path - Reach docs, help, and account settings from the app Dataplicity is built for real support work: customer sites, production floors, field visits, and incident response. Start with the easy checks, understand what is happening, and keep the work moving from your iPhone or iPad. Dataplicity access requires an active Dataplicity account and enrolled devices.
SimplePi for Raspberry Pi
Manage your Raspberry Pi from your iPhone or iPad. Monitor system activity with graphs, run custom commands, and access a terminal shell. Includes widgets, file browsing, and support for multiple Pis.
- Monitor CPU, Memory, Temperature, Disk Usage
- Run custom commands with one tap
- Full terminal shell access
- Home screen widgets for monitoring and control
- File browser with export options
- Manage multiple Raspberry Pi devices
- Public key authentication
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SimplePi is the Swiss army knife utility app for monitoring, controlling, and managing your Raspberry Pi using your iPhone and iPad. MONITOR ACTIVITY See what is going on with your Raspberry Pi. CPU, Memory, Temperature, Disk Usage, and Clock activity are shown in beautiful and easily understandable graphs. CONTROL Run commands on your Pi with a single tap. Want to have your own commands? No problem. SimplePi lets you add as many commands as you wish. Additionally, you can manage your commands in groups. TERMINAL SHELL Access your Pi from a shell terminal with colored output and hardware keyboard support. The on-screen keyboard comes with fast access to commonly used special keys like ctrl and arrow keys. WIDGETS Monitor your Pi and run commands right from the Home Screen with various widgets. VIEW COMMAND RESULTS View and export command results and logs automatically. The results history allows you to view the results of previous commands. DETAILED STATS Detailed Stats for CPU and Memory give you an insight on which processes are running, how much memory is active, and much more. FILE BROWSER Browse Files and Folders in a file browser-like experience. View and export files of various formats. MANAGE MULTIPLE PI SimplePi can manage multiple Raspberry Pi. Configure each Raspberry Pi and connect to them simultaneously. KEY AUTHENTICATION Public Key authentication gives you the flexibility to authenticate in your preferred way. Key files can be imported via iTunes or from other apps. ICLOUD SYNC Sync Commands, Hosts, Keys over iCloud APP LOCK Lock the app using FaceID, TouchID, or a custom passcode HOME SCREEN WIDGETS Run commands directly from your Home Screen on iOS 14 Siri Shortcuts Integrate commands into automated worflows using the Shortcuts app (requires iOS14 or later) NOTE: SSH needs to be enabled on your Raspberry Pi for SimplePi to work correctly. SimplePi has been tested with the latest releases of * Raspberry Pi OS (formerly Raspbian) * Raspbmc * OpenElec * Xbian * Pidora * Arch Linux SimplePi works on all Raspberry Pi models. NOTE (only for Xbian users): Automatic start of xbian-config needs to be disabled. You can do this when connecting via SSH and selecting Config > Settings > Xbian Config > NO. There are many different configurations out there. If you encounter problems with one of the distributions above or want to have your distribution support, please contact us.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Dataplicity at 79% against SimplePi for Raspberry Pi's 26%. Dataplicity also leads on rating (4.6 vs 3.9) and in-app purchases (none vs 1). SimplePi for Raspberry Pi's advantage is update cadence (every 8 days vs every 3 months). On price, 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. SimplePi for Raspberry Pi sells 1 in-app purchase, starting at $4.99 per year. Dataplicity asks for nothing beyond the download.
Dataplicity holds the better App Store score, 4.6 against 3.9. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 163 and 125 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Dataplicity's written reviews are positive against 26% of SimplePi for Raspberry Pi's.
Dataplicity ships an update every 3 months, SimplePi for Raspberry Pi every 8 days. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 12, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Dataplicity | SimplePi for Raspberry Pi |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 4.6 (163 ratings) — better | 3.9 (125 ratings) |
| Positive reviews | 78.6% of reviews — better | 25.7% of reviews |
| Number of ratings | 163 — better | 125 |
| Update frequency | Every 3 months | Every 8 days — better |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No — better | Yes |
| Monetization | Free — better | Free with in-app purchases |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple Watch — better | iPhone, iPad |
| Requires iOS | 15.1 — better | 17.0 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 34 MB | 23 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | MachineForest Ltd | Benedikt Hirmer |
Customer experience
Dataplicity
SimplePi for Raspberry Pi
User reviews
Dataplicity
From 163 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Easy to install and setup
- 👍 Works smoothly and as described
- 👍 Excellent for remote access to Linux/Raspberry Pi
- 👍 Simple and efficient to use
- 👍 Great GUI and user interface
Room to improve
- 🐛 App crashes frequently during signup/adding devices
- 🐛 Terminal scrolling is difficult/unusable on iOS
- 🐛 Input mask is covered by the keyboard
- 🐛 No way to delete devices
- 🐛 Limited bandwidth on paid subscriptions
SimplePi for Raspberry Pi
From 125 App Store ratingsWhat we love
- 👍 Useful tool, does what it says
- 🚀 Fantastic app, great CLI access
- 💡 Full Bash and Python support
- 📈 Provides CPU, GPU, RAM stats
- 💰 Low annual cost (£4.99/year)
Room to improve
- ❌ Subscription required to function
- ❌ Frequent connection issues
- ❌ Paywall limits functionality
- ❌ App crashes frequently
- ❌ Fails to display stats
Bugs and requests
Dataplicity
Reported bugs
8 issues- App crashes before any action can be taken
- App crashes when trying to add a system/device
- In-call status bar pushes terminal down, hiding part of the special function keyboard
- Third-party keyboards of different heights block the bottom half of the special function keyboard
- App does not auto-scroll or allow manual scrolling on screen
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- Cannot connect to Pi from auto-connect or command line
- Custom actions are not always working
- Unreachable devices remain unreachable, no way to delete them
Requested features
7 requests- Add a widget for one-click access to custom actions
- Add proper keyboard support with control, tab, escape keys
- Allow font size adjustment
- Improve terminal colors
- Allow landscape mode for the terminal
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- Add a dark mode option
- Improve bandwidth offerings on paid subscriptions
SimplePi for Raspberry Pi
Reported bugs
13 issues- App refuses to connect after closing
- Opening app redirects to paywall
- Temporary fix for connection issues: remove host, force close, re-add
- App crashes several times
- Fails 50% of the time to display GPU, CPU, and temp settings
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- Screen disappears when trying to navigate raspi-config
- Cannot view output of continuously running commands
- Continuously running commands abort when phone screen locks
- App rejects credentials that other apps accept
- Monitoring features do not work
- App shows one-week free trial but requires subscription immediately
- App doesn't stay connected, screens close and pop around
- App rejects identical credentials that other PI apps accept
Requested features
5 requests- Allow commands to keep running when phone screen locks
- Ability to view results log for commands
- Option to remove added commands
- Improve navigation for raspi-config
- Store SSH private keys securely using iOS Keychain
In-app purchases
Dataplicity
No in-app purchases
SimplePi for Raspberry Pi
- Full Access (12 months)7 Days trial$4.991 Year
Questions
Is Dataplicity free?
Is SimplePi for Raspberry Pi free?
Which has better reviews, Dataplicity or SimplePi for Raspberry Pi?
Do Dataplicity or SimplePi for Raspberry Pi have ads?
Which is updated more often, Dataplicity or SimplePi for Raspberry Pi?
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