Comparison

Dataplicity vs MuffinTerm

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

Head to head
About

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.

Highlights
  • 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
Features
Read full description

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.

About

MuffinTerm

Relive the classic BBS experience with a modern terminal emulator. Connect to telnet-enabled BBSes worldwide and enjoy pixel-accurate retro display modes and aesthetic effects like simulated modem speed and CRT curvature. Upload and download files with classic protocols.

Highlights
  • Telnet BBS connection
  • Authentic retro display modes (CP437, PETSCII, ATASCII)
  • Simulated modem speed
  • CRT curvature and scanlines
  • File transfer (XMODEM, YMODEM, ZMODEM)
  • Digital sticky notes for BBSes
Read full description

MuffinTerm: A terminal crafted for the classic BBS experience. Dive back into the glory days of dial-up bulletin board systems… just, without the dialing up. (Though we’ll always miss that modem sound.) BBSes were once the way that almost anyone “online” got online. The modern Internet might have stolen a bit of the spotlight, but BBSes are still around if you know where to look—and MuffinTerm can take you there. Connect to telnet-enabled BBSes from around the world, with a terminal that’s designed to bring the classic experience to devices of today. (And no more busy signals!) Select from among text modes and terminal hardware of the DOS and home computer era, with pixel-accurate CP437, PETSCII, and ATASCII support for the popular systems of the day, reproduced in exacting detail to help you really feel at home. (All rendered with a custom Metal shader—it is the 21st century, after all.) • MDA with white (P4), green (P31), or amber (P3) phosphor • CGA in 40- or 80-column mode • EGA in 25- or 43-line mode • VGA in 25- or 50-line mode • VIC-II (C64/PETSCII) in NTSC, PAL, or borderless mode • ANTIC (ATASCII) in NTSC, PAL, or borderless mode Fuel your nostalgia further by enabling various aesthetic effects: • Simulated modem speed — from the 110cps teletype crawl of the 1970s to the “blazing fast” 56K of the awesome ’90s. Slow down that ANSI animation to look the way it was originally intended, or just relive the feel of watching the bytes roll in. (Fortunately, without the cross-town toll charges this time around.) • CRT curvature — Turn your flat-screen device into the spitting image of a classic ’tube. • Scan lines — Reject the modernity of your perfect high-DPI display and embrace the scanlines that once reigned supreme. • Warm tube tint — Harken back to an era of dubiously calibrated picture tubes and iffy RF adapters. • VIC-II luma bars — Relive the experience of poorly isolated clock lines (and the resulting visual artifacting). • Overscan borders — View the terminal as it would appear on a typical TV, or flout the factory calibration and show the full borders of the display field. • Select a custom app icon from among several inspired by modems of the BBS era (plus a couple of floppy disks). Some features are functional as well as fun. For example, who hasn’t stuck a sticky note or two to the side of their monitor at some point? Fortunately, the digital era is no bar to this ancient practice. Each BBS in your dialing directory gets its own digital sticky note (pick a color!), plus another that’s shared between them all. Record notes, make reminders, or be naughty and jot down a password or two. (We won’t peek.) Of course, the basics are still all there. Traditional ANSI, PETSCII, and ATASCII terminal emulation give you the proper BBS experience; teletype (TTY) and “raw mode” provide support for special-use systems. Upload and download files using the standard XMODEM, YMODEM, and ZMODEM protocols. Save transcripts of your calls as text or raw data logs. There’s even a session timer in the status line to show you how long you’ve been connected. (Not responsible for flashbacks to long-distance bills from the 1980s.) A comprehensive dialing directory helps you to keep track of your favorite systems. You can also import up-to-date BBS lists from popular online BBS directories. Have multiple devices? Automatically sync your dialing directory and call history between them all—whether iOS, iPadOS, and macOS—via iCloud. And last but not least, it’s free. No ads, no in-app purchases, no weird tracking shenanigans. It’s just you and the soft glow of the pixels calling out to you. It’s time to get back online with MuffinTerm.

Screenshots

Dataplicity4 screens
MuffinTerm4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Dataplicity at free against MuffinTerm's paid. Dataplicity also leads on ratings volume (163 vs 38). MuffinTerm's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 3 months) and rating (4.9 vs 4.6). On price, ads, in-app purchases 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. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

MuffinTerm holds the better App Store score, 4.9 against 4.6. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 163 and 38 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 79% of Dataplicity's written reviews are positive against 93% of MuffinTerm's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Dataplicity ships an update every 3 months, MuffinTerm every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 3, 2026 and October 5, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
Dataplicity versus MuffinTerm: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterDataplicityMuffinTerm
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.6 (163 ratings)4.9 (38 ratings) — better
Positive reviews78.6% of reviews93.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings163 — better38
Update frequencyEvery 3 monthsEvery 3 weeks — better
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterPaid
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPod, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac
Requires iOS15.114.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size34 MB3 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMachineForest LtdMolly Black

Customer experience

Dataplicity

All ratings163 ratings
Positive90.8%
Neutral1.2%
Negative8.0%
Written reviews42 reviews
Positive78.6%
Neutral0.0%
Negative21.4%

MuffinTerm

All ratings38 ratings
Positive97.4%
Neutral2.6%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews30 reviews
Positive93.3%
Neutral3.3%
Negative3.3%

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
Show 3 more
  • 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
Show 2 more
  • Add a dark mode option
  • Improve bandwidth offerings on paid subscriptions

MuffinTerm

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

Dataplicity

No in-app purchases

None

MuffinTerm

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is Dataplicity free?
Dataplicity is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is MuffinTerm free?
MuffinTerm is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, Dataplicity or MuffinTerm?
MuffinTerm is rated higher. Dataplicity averages 4.6 out of 5 from 163 ratings, while MuffinTerm averages 4.9 from 38 ratings.
Do Dataplicity or MuffinTerm have ads?
Neither Dataplicity nor MuffinTerm shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Dataplicity or MuffinTerm?
Dataplicity ships an update every 3 months, and MuffinTerm every 3 weeks. Most recently, Dataplicity was updated on October 3, 2026 and MuffinTerm on October 5, 2026.

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