Termius is the default answer when someone asks "what's a good SSH client for iPhone." It has been around for years, ships on every platform, and covers the full SSH feature set. It also runs on a subscription model that gates a lot of useful functionality. ShellDrop sits in a smaller, narrower spot: no subscription, iOS-only, and tuned for one workflow in particular. Managing AI coding agents on a headless Mac Mini or VPS.
Both apps are legitimate. They just solve different problems for different people. Here is an honest side-by-side.
| ShellDrop | Termius | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | No subscription. No in-app purchases. | Free tier with limits, Pro/Premium subscriptions. |
| Platforms | iPhone, iPad (iOS 17+) | iPhone, iPad, macOS, Windows, Linux, Android |
| Account required | No | Yes for sync |
| Telemetry | None | Analytics and crash reporting |
| Password auth | Yes | Yes |
| Public-key auth (SSH keys) | Not yet (on roadmap) | Yes |
| SFTP | No | Yes |
| Port forwarding | Not yet | Yes, with UI |
| tmux single-finger scroll | Yes | Not explicit; standard scroll |
| Connection sync | iCloud CloudKit (no vendor account) | Termius cloud (account required, wider device reach) |
| Password storage | iOS Keychain on-device only | Synced via Termius cloud (encrypted) |
| Host key verification | TOFU | TOFU |
| Multiple sessions in tabs | Yes | Yes |
| Background session keep-alive | Opt-in, location-services-based | Limited on iOS |
| Custom command shortcut | One Tap button (v3.1.4+) | Snippets (paid tier) |
| Magic Keyboard trackpad scroll | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No (repo not public) | No |
One App Store download, no account creation, no recurring charge. Most of the iOS SSH market has drifted into subscription territory — Termius, Prompt, Blink. ShellDrop is the exception.
There is no ShellDrop cloud to sign in to. Connection metadata syncs via Apple's iCloud CloudKit — your own iCloud account — and passwords never leave the device. There is no analytics SDK, no third-party crash reporter, no event tracking. What you do with the app is between your device and your server.
Single-finger swipe through tmux scrollback without entering copy mode. The keyboard toolbar has Esc, Ctrl-C, arrow keys, Shift-Tab, and a dedicated tmux detach button always visible. If you spend most of your SSH time inside tmux panes attached to a coding agent, this matters.
v3.1.4 added an opt-in toolbar button that sends a user-configured command string over SSH with a single tap. Built for workflows like MemPalace refreshes, update memory to Claude Code, a git checkpoint commit, or any string you fire often but don't want to type on a phone keyboard. More on how it works. Termius has snippets, but they sit behind a paid tier.
ShellDrop has an opt-in background keep-alive that uses iOS location services to keep the SSH connection open when you switch apps or lock the phone. iOS aggressively kills sockets on backgrounded apps; this is the workaround. Termius on iOS has this too but it is more limited.
If your workflow requires SSH keys — and most professional workflows do — Termius supports them today. ShellDrop does not yet. Public-key auth is on the roadmap, but if you need it now, Termius is the better choice.
Termius has a full SFTP client. ShellDrop is SSH-only, no file transfer. If you move files between your phone and remote hosts regularly, Termius covers that.
Termius has a proper port-forwarding interface. ShellDrop relies on manual -L / -R flags at the shell level, which is fine if you're comfortable with SSH syntax but not a feature Termius users need to think about.
Termius ships on macOS, Windows, Linux, and Android in addition to iOS. If you want a single SSH manager that works on every device, that's Termius. ShellDrop is iOS-only.
Termius has a deeper feature catalogue than ShellDrop, especially at the Pro and Premium tiers. Snippets, saved command templates, identities, groups, tags, port knocking. ShellDrop's feature set is narrower by design.
It's also fine to have both. Termius for SFTP and pubkey work on the desktop, ShellDrop on the phone for day-to-day tmux babysitting. These aren't mutually exclusive.
Termius has a free tier with limits. Most meaningful features — cross-device sync, SFTP, snippets, port forwarding UI — sit behind a paid subscription.
ShellDrop. No subscription, no account, covers the core SSH workflow, tmux scrollback, multi-session tabs.
No. SSH-only. For SFTP today, Termius covers it.
Not yet. Password authentication only at time of writing. Public-key support is on the roadmap. For key-based workflows today, Termius or Blink Shell are the options.
Either works for the SSH layer. ShellDrop is tuned for this specific workflow — single-finger tmux scroll, always-visible Esc / Ctrl-C / arrow keys, background keep-alive, One Tap button for firing refresh commands at the agent.
ShellDrop is on the App Store. Universal iPhone and iPad, iOS 17+. No subscription.