# Shelly vs xTerminal

The clearest difference is ads: Shelly at none against xTerminal's shown. Shelly also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.1). xTerminal's advantage is rating (4.7 vs 4.4) and update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, 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 xTerminal sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $6.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

xTerminal holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: xTerminal has 1.9K ratings behind it against 273, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Shelly's written reviews are positive against 69% of xTerminal's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about.

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, xTerminal every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 23, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | xTerminal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews) | **[4.7 (1.9K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xterminal-ssh-terminal-shell/id1544728400/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 273 | **1.9K** |
| Positive reviews | **76.2% of reviews** | 68.6% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | **No** | Yes |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | #182 | **#33** |
| Size | 11 MB | 26 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.1 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) | [婉媚 邵](https://appshunter.io/developer/1297240696) |

## 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


### xTerminal

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/xterminal-ssh-terminal-shell/id1544728400)

**Currently charting:** #33 Top Free · Developer Tools, #71 Top Grossing · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Manage servers remotely with a fast and secure SSH terminal client. Features include a powerful editor, multi-session management, file transfer, and advanced security options. Ideal for IT professionals and developers needing to control servers from anywhere.

**Highlights:** Interactive SSH terminal, Built-in vi/vim editor, Multi-session management, Command snippets, SFTP file management, Secure port knocking, Batch command execution

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

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| xTerminal Pro Monthly | $6.99 | per month |
| xTerminal Pro | $29.99 | per year |
| xTerminal Pro | $59.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

- 🚀 Fast connections
- 👍 Easy to navigate
- 💡 Useful app
- 👍 Great support team

**What reviewers complain about**

- 🔒 Security risks with storing credentials
- 💰 Expensive subscription model
- 🐛 Occasional bugs
- 🔒 Lack of secure credential entry

**Reported bugs**

- Blank screen on connection
- Incompatibility with older devices
- Nano text editor issues

**Requested features**

- Dark mode option
- Import key functionality
- Improved ANSI support


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

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

### Is xTerminal free?

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

### Which has better reviews, Shelly or xTerminal?

xTerminal is rated higher. Shelly averages 4.4 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while xTerminal averages 4.7 from 1.9K ratings.

### Do Shelly or xTerminal have ads?

xTerminal shows ads; Shelly does not.

### Which is updated more often, Shelly or xTerminal?

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, and xTerminal every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shelly was updated on September 24, 2026 and xTerminal on September 23, 2026.

### Which is more popular, Shelly or xTerminal?

Shelly currently peaks at #182 in the App Store charts, and xTerminal at #33. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

---

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