Best Linux Shell Apps

249+ iOS apps curated and reviewed

4.6 avg rating
16 free apps
Updated September 2026

Looking for free linux shell apps? 16 of our 249+ tracked titles are free to download — no subscription, no trial. The rest are premium picks worth paying for.

Compare top Linux Shell Apps (September 2026)

#AppPriceRatingAdsIn-App PurchasesUpdated
1iSH ShelliSH ShellFree4.7★ (1.2K)NoNoSep 2026
2a-Shella-ShellFree4.6★ (553)NoNoSep 2026
3LibTermLibTermFree4.5★ (804)NoNoAug 2026
4Terminal#Terminal#Free4.5★ (153)NoYesSep 2026
5xTerminal - SSH Terminal ShellxTerminal - SSH Terminal ShellFree4.7★ (1.9K)YesYesOct 2026
6Termius - Modern SSH ClientTermius - Modern SSH ClientFree4.7★ (19K)NoYesOct 2026
7allSmart loyaltyallSmart loyaltyFree5.0★ (1)NoNoMay 2026
8Linux StudioLinux Studio$2.99—NoNoSep 2026

Top Picks for Linux Shell

iSH Shell#1

iSH Shell by Theodore Dubois

Linux in your pocket
4.7😊(1.2K ratings)
Free
#17in Developer Tools
iSH Shell screenshot 1

Experience a Linux-like command-line environment directly on your iOS device. This application allows you to perform common Linux operations such as editing, moving, and manipulating files using familiar commands.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Excellent Linux environment
  • 👍 Great for SSH and network utilities
  • 💡 Allows running Linux apps on iOS
  • 🔒 Secure and sandboxed
  • 👍 Customizable and flexible

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Crashes and freezes
  • 🔋 Battery intensive
  • ⚠️ Limited functionality compared to full Linux
  • ⚠️ Outdated packages and dependencies
a-Shell#2

a-Shell by Nicolas Holzschuch

*Local* Unix terminal (& ssh)
Strong Contender
🛠️ Developer Tools
4.6😊(553 ratings)
Free
#19in Developer Tools
a-Shell screenshot 1
a-Shell screenshot 2
a-Shell screenshot 3
a-Shell screenshot 4
a-Shell screenshot 5

Run a full Unix-like terminal environment on your iOS device. Execute a wide range of commands, edit files, and even program using included interpreters and compilers. Supports multitasking and integration with Shortcuts.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Powerful terminal with Linux commands
  • 👍 Useful for programming and development
  • 🔒 Secure and reliable
  • 💡 Impressive capabilities for an iOS app
  • 👍 Helpful documentation and developer support

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Occasional crashes and bugs
  • 🔍 Limited customization options
  • 🔍 Missing some basic terminal features
  • 🔍 Compatibility issues with certain packages
LibTerm#3

LibTerm by Develobile S.p.A.

Command Line Shell
Worth Considering
🛠️ Developer Tools
4.5😊(804 ratings)
Free
LibTerm screenshot 1
LibTerm screenshot 2

This app provides a powerful command-line interface for iOS devices, enabling users to run various shell commands. It includes tools for coding in C, Python, and Lua, and allows for text file editing with syntax highlighting.

What We Love

  • 🚀 Basic UNIX command line utilities
  • 🚀 Handy Command Utility
  • 👍 Excellent
  • 👍 Simply awesome
  • 👍 Brilliant!
  • 👍 Отличное приложение
  • 👍 Good app
  • 👍 Efsane
  • 👍 Il miglior terminale per iPhone/iPad
  • 👍 Подключение к серверу по SSH
  • 👍 Muito bom
  • 👍 Perfect Terminal experience in iPhone
  • 👍 Very handy tool
  • 👍 Хороший шелл XNU
  • 👍 Parabéns aos desenvolvedores!!
  • 👍 Best app
  • 👍 Awesome!

Room to Improve

  • 🐛 Not awesome
  • 🐛 400+ MB App size
  • 🐛 Странно.
  • 🐛 Potential but disappointing with the usability
  • 🐛 Limited feature set
  • 🐛 Connect to ssh server
  • 🐛 Bs4
  • 🐛 Dead App Should be Removed
  • 🐛 SSH is broken
  • 🐛 Good until you face permission and lack of tools wall
  • 🐛 No SSH?
  • 🐛 k.
  • 🐛 White Screen
  • 🐛 Crash
  • 🐛 Why is now white?
  • 🐛 Clang error
  • 🐛 Update to 5.0 crashes on startup

More Linux Shell apps to explore

FAQ about Linux Shell

What are the best linux shell apps for iPhone?
iSH Shell tops our linux shell apps ranking as of September 2026, with a 4.7-star average from 1.2K App Store ratings, and it's free to download.
Yes — 16 of the top linux shell apps we rank are free to download, including iSH Shell and a-Shell.
iSH Shell has no ads and has no in-app purchases, according to its App Store listing as of September 2026.
We track 249+ linux shell apps on the iOS App Store as of September 2026, ranked by rating, recency, and analysis of real user reviews.