# Shelly vs Terminal#

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.

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.

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.

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.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | Terminal# |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (277 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews) | **[4.5 (163 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terminal/id1632249346/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | **277** | 163 |
| Positive reviews | 76.3% of reviews | **91.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 2 months** | Every 5 months |
| Monetization | **Free with in-app purchases** | Subscription |
| Best chart rank | #137 | **#67** |
| Size | 11 MB | 6 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 15.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, iPod |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) | [Vasilii Shaidullin](https://appshunter.io/developer/1423700543) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelly

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

**Currently charting:** #137 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #204 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


### Terminal#

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/terminal/id1632249346)

**Currently charting:** #67 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

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:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (8)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $2.99 | per month |
| Semi-annual | $8.99 | per 6 months |
| Annual | $19.99 | per year |
| Two hundred connections | $2.99 | one-time |
| Five hundred connections | $3.99 | one-time |
| Eight hundred connections | $5.99 | one-time |
| A thousand connections | $7.99 | one-time |
| Infinity connections | $9.99 | one-time |

**What reviewers like**

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

**What reviewers complain about**

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

**Reported bugs**

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

**Requested features**

- Add support for 2FA
- Improve text editor functionality
- Provide option to disable password storage


## Frequently asked 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 #137 in the App Store charts, and Terminal# at #67. 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.*