Comparison

BrainHack vs Bastion SSH

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

Head to head
About

BrainHack

This app serves as an interpreter for the esoteric B*******k programming language. It allows users to execute B*******k code, which is known for its extreme minimalism and is designed for programmer challenge and amusement rather than practical use.

Highlights
  • B*******k programming language interpreter
  • Execute esoteric code
  • Minimalist programming language support
  • ASCII character output
  • Byte input and manipulation
Features
Read full description

BrainHack is an interpreter app for B*******k. The B*******k programming language is an esoteric programming language noted for its extreme minimalism. It is a Turing tarpit, designed to challenge and amuse programmers, and was not made to be suitable for practical use. It was created in 1993 by Urban Muller. Commands: > increment the data pointer (to point to the next cell to the right). < decrement the data pointer (to point to the next cell to the left). + increment (increase by one) the byte at the data pointer. - decrement (decrease by one) the byte at the data pointer. . output a character, the ASCII value of which being the byte at the data pointer. , accept one byte of input, storing its value in the byte at the data pointer. [ if the byte at the data pointer is zero, then instead of moving the instruction pointer forward to the next command, jump it forward to the command after the matching ] command. ] if the byte at the data pointer is nonzero, then instead of moving the instruction pointer forward to the next command, jump it back to the command after the matching [ command.

About

Bastion SSH

Connect to remote servers through multiple jump hosts with this SSH and SFTP client. It securely manages keys and passwords, offers multi-session terminals, and allows file browsing and transfers.

Highlights
  • Multi-hop SSH connections
  • Secure key and password management
  • SFTP file browsing and transfers
  • Multi-session terminal
  • Host key verification
  • Public key installation
Features
Read full description

Bastion SSH is an SSH and SFTP client built for the way real infrastructure is laid out: not one server you can dial directly, but a bastion, then a machine behind it, then the box you actually wanted. Chains, not just connections: - Reach a host through any number of jump hosts, the way `ssh -J` does - Every hop is a real SSH session, so every machine in the chain is authenticated and its host key checked — not just the first one - Routes are named by where they go: "office-A → mac-mini". Past the first hop addresses stop being unique — a reverse tunnel puts every machine on its jump's localhost — so the path is what tells two otherwise identical routes apart - Add a new jump host inline while you set one up, at any depth - When a chain fails it names the hop, the stage it got to, and the jump it came through, so you can tell a dead tunnel from a machine that is switched off Know what will happen before you connect: - Open a route and see it hop by hop, with what each step will use: a stored key, a stored password, or a prompt - It answers the question up front — "1 of 3 hops will ask for credentials" - Install a public key onto any hop from the same screen Keys that stay on the device: - Generate a key on your phone: the private half goes straight into the system key store and never exists as a file, and only the public key ever leaves - Import the key you already own: OpenSSH format (what ssh-keygen writes by default) or PEM, encrypted or not, with no conversion step - "This device" lists every key with its type, fingerprint, which hosts use it, and whether it was generated here or imported - Use one key across several hosts, and delete a key only after being told how many hosts depend on it Host keys you can verify: - Fingerprints are the OpenSSH SHA256 form, exactly what `ssh-keygen -lf` prints, so you can compare them with the server instead of taking them on trust - A changed host key asks you, every time - Records are kept per route, so two machines that both answer on their bastion's localhost are never confused Multi-session terminal: - Session tabs that live independently — switch, close or retry one without disturbing the rest - xterm-compatible terminal with selection, copy and paste, and resize - Quick keys for the commands and control sequences you keep reaching for - Per-host keep-alive, and reconnection that backs off instead of hammering the server Files: - Browse, download, upload, rename and delete over SFTP - Downloads keep running when you leave the screen, with progress and cancel - Save through the system file picker, or keep them in the app Credentials, on your terms: - A hop's password can be kept in the device key store, per host, and using it needs the device's own check — your face, a fingerprint, or your passcode - One check covers a few minutes of use, then it locks itself again — a found phone is not an open door - Each stored password says which protection it has - A stored password the server rejects is dropped and you are asked again, instead of failing the same way on every attempt - Review and revoke everything that is stored from one screen Yours, and only on your device: - Hosts, keys and known-host records stay on the device. No account, no sync, nothing to sign up for - Private keys live only in the system key store, never as plaintext files - Privacy policy and terms are available from within the app Great for: - Anyone whose servers sit behind a bastion or a reverse tunnel - Sysadmins and developers checking on machines away from a desk - Keeping several sessions open at once — logs in one tab, work in another - Setting up key authentication from a phone, without moving a private key around Open the route. See the hops. Connect.

Screenshots

BrainHack3 screens
Bastion SSH4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: Bastion SSH at 5.0 against BrainHack's 4.2. BrainHack's advantage is ads (none vs shown) and monetization model (free vs ad-supported). On price, review sentiment, update cadence and in-app purchases 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

Bastion SSH holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 4.2. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BrainHack has 6 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews split almost evenly too, at 100% and 100% positive.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BrainHack ships an update every 6 weeks, Bastion SSH monthly. The most recent releases landed on November 1, 2026 and October 30, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard5 real differences · 5 level
BrainHack versus Bastion SSH: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBrainHackBastion SSH
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.2 (6 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews100.0% of reviews100.0% of reviews
Number of ratings6 — better1
Update frequencyEvery 6 weeksMonthly — better
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesNoNo
MonetizationFree — betterAd-supported
DevicesiPhone, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod — better
Requires iOS8.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB42 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperKatsuma TanakaYuan-Yi Chang

Customer experience

BrainHack

All ratings6 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews9 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bastion SSH

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

In-app purchases

None

BrainHack

No in-app purchases

None

Bastion SSH

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is BrainHack free?
BrainHack is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is Bastion SSH free?
Bastion SSH is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, BrainHack or Bastion SSH?
Bastion SSH is rated higher. BrainHack averages 4.2 out of 5 from 6 ratings, while Bastion SSH averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do BrainHack or Bastion SSH have ads?
Bastion SSH shows ads; BrainHack does not.
Which is updated more often, BrainHack or Bastion SSH?
BrainHack ships an update every 6 weeks, and Bastion SSH monthly. Most recently, BrainHack was updated on November 1, 2026 and Bastion SSH on October 30, 2026.

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