# Shelly vs Blink Shell, Build & Code

The clearest difference is rating: Shelly at 4.4 against Blink Shell, Build & Code's 3.1. Shelly also leads on review sentiment (76% vs 37%) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.6). Blink Shell, Build & Code's advantage is update cadence (every 3 weeks vs every 2 months) and chart position (#15 vs unranked). On price, ratings volume, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Blink Shell, Build & Code sells 5 in-app purchases, starting at $7.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shelly holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 273 and 418 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 76% of Shelly's written reviews are positive against 37% of Blink Shell, Build & Code's.

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, Blink Shell, Build & Code every 3 weeks. Both last shipped on October 13, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | Blink Shell, Build & Code |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews)** | [3.1 (418 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blink-shell-build-and-code/id1594898306/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | 273 | **418** |
| Positive reviews | **76.3% of reviews** | 36.8% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 3 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | — | **#15** |
| Size | 11 MB | 211 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.6 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 4+ | 17+ |
| Developer | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) | [Blink Shell, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/1526795995) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelly

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

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


### Blink Shell, Build & Code

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blink-shell-build-and-code/id1594898306)

**Currently charting:** #15 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #75 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

Transform your iOS device into a powerful terminal for coding and development. Leverage Mosh and SSH for stable, fast connections. Integrate with VS Code and manage your entire development workflow from your pocket.

**Highlights:** Mosh and SSH connections, VS Code integration (Blink Code), Remote runtime creation (Blink Build), Full SSH toolset, Hardware keyboard support, External display support, SFTP transfers

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

**In-app purchases (5)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Build Basic - 50 credits/month | $7.99 | per month |
| Blink+Build Basic | $9.99 | per month |
| Blink Plus | $19.99 | per year |
| Blink+ | $19.99 | per year |
| Blink Shell Classic | Free | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

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

### Is Blink Shell, Build & Code free?

Blink Shell, Build & Code is free to download, with in-app purchases available.

### Which has better reviews, Shelly or Blink Shell, Build & Code?

Shelly is rated higher. Shelly averages 4.4 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while Blink Shell, Build & Code averages 3.1 from 418 ratings.

### Do Shelly or Blink Shell, Build & Code have ads?

Neither Shelly nor Blink Shell, Build & Code shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, Shelly or Blink Shell, Build & Code?

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, and Blink Shell, Build & Code every 3 weeks. Most recently, Shelly was updated on October 13, 2026 and Blink Shell, Build & Code on October 13, 2026.

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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.*