Comparison

Shelly vs Terminal#

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

Head to head
About

Shelly

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
Read full description

SSH client designed for usability and performance. RELIABLE AND FAST • Hardware accelerated text rendering. • Robust terminal emulation based on the PuTTY engine. • Works great with programs such as 'screen' and 'irssi'. CONTROL WITH GESTURES • Default gestures optimized for irssi. Just swipe to switch channels or to scroll up and down. • Fully customizable. Any keypress or action can be attached to any gesture. EASY CONNECTING • Save user credentials and configure a remote command such as ‘screen -rd’ to connect with one tap. • 3D touch support. Connect directly from the iOS home screen. CUSTOMIZABLE KEYBOARD • Easily bind custom actions to buttons on the keyboard toolbar. • Works with custom iOS keyboards such as SwiftKey. OPEN LINKS AND SELECT TEXT • Familiar iOS text selection experience. Long-press on text to show the selection controls. • Copy and paste text. • Select a URL to easily open it in the web browser. OTHER FEATURES • iCloud sync support. • Terminal color themes. Choose your favorite from the several themes included or make your own. • Key file authentication support. Import an existing private key, or create a new key and export the public key. • Host key verification and management. • Agent forwarding (OpenSSH servers only). • Keep connections alive while the app is in the background. • Connection history with optional realtime location data. • Plenty of other configuration options. Please note that some features require a paid upgrade. You can try all features for free for a limited time.

About

Terminal#

This app provides a secure and convenient way to manage your servers directly from your mobile device. It offers a powerful terminal interface for efficient server management on the go, with an intuitive design suitable for all users.

Highlights
  • Secure SSH connection
  • Convenient server management
  • Intuitive user interface
  • Mobile flexibility
  • Quick and efficient terminal
Features
Read full description

Terminal#: An SSH client for securely managing your servers right from your mobile device. Features: Secure Connection: Allows securely connecting to your servers using the SSH protocol, ensuring secure data transmission. Convenient Management: The powerful terminal interface enables you to quickly and efficiently manage your servers regardless of your location. Intuitive Interface: A simple and intuitive interface makes using the app easy even for beginners. Mobile Flexibility: Enables you to manage your servers directly from your mobile device, providing flexibility and convenience in your work. Whether you're a system administrator, developer, or simply need a convenient way to manage your servers on the go, Terminal# provides a secure and efficient solution for your mobile device. Additional subscription information: You can cancel your subscription at any time through your Apple ID settings in iTunes and the App Store. All prices include local sales taxes. Payment will be made from your iTunes account after purchase confirmation. The subscription will automatically renew unless you disable auto-renewal at least 24 hours before the current period ends. The renewal fee will be charged to your account within 24 hours before the current period ends, specifying the renewal cost. You can manage your subscriptions and disable automatic renewal by going to your account settings after purchase. Cancellation of the current subscription is not available during the active subscription period. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription to this publication. Please review our privacy policy and terms of use: End User License Agreement (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.making-app.com/remterm/

Screenshots

Shelly4 screens
Terminal#4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is monetization model: Shelly at free with in-app purchases against Terminal#'s subscription. Shelly also leads on update cadence (every 2 months vs every 5 months) and iOS requirement (13.0 vs 15.0). Terminal#'s advantage is review sentiment (91% vs 76%). On price, rating, ratings volume and ads 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. Shelly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and Terminal# sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for Shelly against 4.5 for Terminal#. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 277 and 163 respectively. Written reviews are what separate them: 76% of Shelly's written reviews are positive against 91% of Terminal#'s.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, Terminal# every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on November 6, 2026 and November 3, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Shelly versus Terminal#: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterShellyTerminal#
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.4 (277 ratings)4.5 (163 ratings) — better
Positive reviews76.3% of reviews91.3% of reviews — better
Number of ratings277 — better163
Update frequencyEvery 2 months — betterEvery 5 months
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchases — betterSubscription
Best chart rank#132#61 — better
DevicesiPhone, iPad, iPodiPhone, iPad, iPod
Requires iOS13.0 — better15.0
Further details — not scored
Size11 MB6 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperTouch FooVasilii Shaidullin

Customer experience

Shelly

All ratings273 ratings
Positive83.5%
Neutral4.4%
Negative12.1%
Written reviews354 reviews
Positive76.3%
Neutral8.8%
Negative15.0%

Terminal#

All ratings153 ratings
Positive87.6%
Neutral3.3%
Negative9.2%
Written reviews241 reviews
Positive91.3%
Neutral2.9%
Negative5.8%

User reviews

Shelly

From 277 App Store ratings

What we love

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

Room to improve

  • 🐛 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

Terminal#

From 163 App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Easy to use
  • 🚀 Reliable and stable
  • 🔒 Secure remote access
  • 💡 Useful keyboard shortcuts
  • 👍 Clutter-free interface

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs with text editor
  • 🔒 Concerns about password storage
  • 🔋 Issues with background operation

Bugs and requests

Shelly

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • 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

5 requests
  • 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

Terminal#

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Freezing on login screen
  • Compatibility issues with older devices
  • Scrolling problems with on-screen keyboard

Requested features

3 requests
  • Add support for 2FA
  • Improve text editor functionality
  • Provide option to disable password storage

In-app purchases

1 purchases

Shelly

One-time1
  • Upgrade To Pro$3.99
8 purchases

Terminal#

Subscriptions3
  • Monthly$2.991 Month
  • Semi-annual$8.996 Months
  • Annual$19.991 Year
One-time5
  • Two hundred connections$2.99
  • Five hundred connections$3.99
  • Eight hundred connections$5.99
Show 2 more
  • A thousand connections$7.99
  • Infinity connections$9.99

Questions

Is Shelly free?
Shelly is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Terminal# free?
Terminal# is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Shelly or Terminal#?
Terminal# is rated higher. Shelly averages 4.4 out of 5 from 277 ratings, while Terminal# averages 4.5 from 163 ratings.
Do Shelly or Terminal# have ads?
Neither Shelly nor Terminal# shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Shelly or Terminal#?
Shelly ships an update every 2 months, and Terminal# every 5 months. Most recently, Shelly was updated on November 6, 2026 and Terminal# on November 3, 2026.
Which is more popular, Shelly or Terminal#?
Shelly currently peaks at #132 in the App Store charts, and Terminal# at #61. Chart position reflects recent download velocity rather than total install base.

Other comparisons