# Shelly vs GateShell

The clearest difference is chart position: Shelly at #201 against GateShell's unranked. Shelly also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence, ads and in-app purchases there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Shelly sells 1 one-off in-app purchase and GateShell sells 2 in-app purchases, starting at $0.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on September 24, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.

## The numbers

| Metric | Shelly | GateShell |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | **[4.4 (273 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/shelly-ssh-client/id989642999/reviews)** | — |
| Number of ratings | **273** | — |
| Positive reviews | 76.2% of reviews | — |
| In-app purchases | Yes | Yes |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | Every 2 months | Every 2 months |
| Monetization | Free with in-app purchases | — |
| Best chart rank | **#201** | — |
| Size | 11 MB | 52 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod | iPhone, iPad, Mac |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | [Touch Foo](https://appshunter.io/developer/331891508) | [HEFTY INNOVATIONS](https://appshunter.io/developer/6785287623) |

## What reviewers say

### Shelly

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

**Currently charting:** #201 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


### GateShell

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/gateshell-ssh-client-and-sftp/id6785287621)

**Features:** Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases (2)**

| Purchase | Price | Billing |
| --- | --- | --- |
| GateShell Pro Monthly | $0.99 | per month |
| GateShell Pro Yearly | $9.99 | per year |


## Frequently asked questions

### Is Shelly free?

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

### Is GateShell free?

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

### Do Shelly or GateShell have ads?

Neither Shelly nor GateShell shows ads.

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

Shelly ships an update every 2 months, and GateShell every 2 months. Most recently, Shelly was updated on September 24, 2026 and GateShell on September 15, 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.*