# Shelly vs SSH Client

The clearest difference is rating: SSH Client at 4.8 against Shelly's 4.4. SSH Client also leads on update cadence (weekly vs every 2 months) and review sentiment (94% vs 76%). Shelly's advantage is iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SSH Client sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

SSH Client holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: SSH Client has 1.5K ratings behind it against 273, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Shelly's written reviews are positive against 94% of SSH Client's.

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, SSH Client weekly. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | SSH Client |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews) | **[4.8 (1.5K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-client-secure-shellfish/id1336634154/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 273 | **1.5K** |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | **94.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Weekly** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Freemium |
| Best chart rank | #182 | **#29** |
| Size | 11 MB | 117 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.4 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) | [Anders Borum](https://appshunter.io/developer/343532883) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelly

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999)

**Currently charting:** #182 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

A powerful and user-friendly SSH client for mobile devices. It offers robust terminal emulation, gesture controls, and customizable keyboard shortcuts for efficient remote server management. Supports key-based authentication and iCloud sync.

**Highlights:** Hardware accelerated text rendering, Robust terminal emulation, Gesture control for navigation, Customizable keyboard toolbar, Key file authentication, iCloud sync support, Terminal color themes

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Family Sharing, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (1)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Upgrade To Pro | $3.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Lightweight and fast
- 👍 Customizable keyboard and gestures
- 🔒 Supports SSH key authentication
- 💡 Useful shortcuts and toolbar
- 👍 Reliable background connections

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional connection drops when switching apps
- 🐛 Toolbar issues with hardware keyboard
- 🐛 Garbled display with some terminal programs
- 🐛 Lack of support for newer SSH key formats
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with password managers

**Reported bugs**

- Saved profiles get overwritten unexpectedly
- Toolbar persists even with auto-hide enabled
- Cursor movement issues with hardware keyboard
- Inability to copy/paste with Magic Keyboard

**Requested features**

- Add support for port forwarding
- Implement Mosh protocol support
- Allow customization of default font
- Provide option for multiple app instances
- Add ability to remap hardware keyboard keys


### SSH Client

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-client-secure-shellfish/id1336634154)

**Currently charting:** #29 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #127 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This app provides a fast SSH terminal and remote file access, seamlessly integrating your SSH servers with your iOS device. It offers advanced text editing gestures, drag-and-drop file management, and built-in tmux support for persistent sessions. Access your server's file system directly within the Files app and automate transfers via Shortcuts.

**Highlights:** Lightning fast SSH terminal, Remote file access and management, Standard and custom text editing gestures, Drag-and-drop file transfer, Built-in tmux support for session persistence, Files app integration for server file system, Shortcuts app integration for automation

**Features:** Family Sharing, Apple Watch app, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| ShellFish Monthly subscription | $2.99 | per month |
| ShellFish Annual subscription | $14.99 | per year |
| ShellFish Lifetime Pro Unlock | $29.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Turns iPad into productivity machine
- 🚀 Seamless SSH experience
- 👍 Excellent integration with Files app
- 👍 Robust key management and syncing
- 👍 Powerful terminal with great features

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🐛 Occasional crashes or freezes
- 🐛 Inconsistent behavior with some commands
- 🔒 Concerns about data privacy and security

**Reported bugs**

- Crashes when running certain commands
- Issues with file transfer progress reporting

**Requested features**

- Improved documentation and tutorials
- Support for additional authentication methods
- Customizable keyboard shortcuts and layouts
- Tabbed terminal interface


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

Shelly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Is SSH Client free?

SSH Client is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shelly or SSH Client?

SSH Client is rated higher. Shelly averages 4.4 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while SSH Client averages 4.8 from 1.5K ratings.

### Do Shelly or SSH Client have ads?

Neither Shelly nor SSH Client shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shelly or SSH Client?

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, and SSH Client weekly. Most recently, Shelly was updated on September 24, 2026 and SSH Client on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Shelly or SSH Client?

Shelly currently peaks at #182 in the App Store charts, and SSH Client at #29. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*