# Shelly vs SSH VPN

The clearest difference is rating: Shelly at 4.4 against SSH VPN's 3.5. Shelly also leads on ratings volume (273 vs 19). SSH VPN's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 2 months). On price, review sentiment, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and SSH VPN sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Shelly holds the better App Store score, 4.4 against 3.5. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Shelly has 273 ratings behind it against 19, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 76% of Shelly's written reviews are positive against 77% of SSH VPN'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, SSH VPN every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 17, 2026 and October 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | SSH VPN |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews)** | [3.5 (19 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-vpn-port-forwarding/id6471132702/reviews) |
| Number of ratings | **273** | 19 |
| Positive reviews | 76.3% of reviews | **77.3% of reviews** |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | **Every 2 weeks** |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | Free with in-app purchases |
| Best chart rank | **#102** | #161 |
| Size | 11 MB | 23 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 14.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | **iPhone, iPad, iPod, Mac** |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) | [Hexa Software](https://appshunter.io/developer/1702698881) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelly

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

**Currently charting:** #102 Top Grossing · Developer Tools, #202 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 VPN

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ssh-vpn-port-forwarding/id6471132702)

**Currently charting:** #161 Top Free · Developer Tools (US App Store)

This VPN app offers secure tunneling via SSH with UDP Gateway support and port forwarding. It allows sharing network connections and provides Wi-Fi security on public hotspots. The app is designed for stealth, stability, and minimal resource usage.

**Highlights:** Port Forwarding, Share socks and http over Network/LAN, SSH tunneling with UDP Gateway, Wi-Fi Security on Public Hotspots, Minimalist and low RAM usage, Stealth and stable connection

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (3)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| Annually | $9.99 | per year |
| Pro - One-Time | $24.99 | one-time |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

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

### Is SSH VPN free?

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

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

Shelly is rated higher. Shelly averages 4.4 out of 5 from 273 ratings, while SSH VPN averages 3.5 from 19 ratings.

### Do Shelly or SSH VPN have ads?

Neither Shelly nor SSH VPN shows ads.

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

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, and SSH VPN every 2 weeks. Most recently, Shelly was updated on October 17, 2026 and SSH VPN on October 15, 2026.

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

Shelly currently peaks at #102 in the App Store charts, and SSH VPN at #161. 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.*