Shelly - SSH Client 4+

This is definitely a first rate SSH app, and the 14 day free trial of premium features gives you a chance to really test drive it before committing. The premium upgrade is downright cheap, and a no brainer. I suggest everyone get it ASAP. 4.5 stars for the background connection issue I mention next.

My only issues so far: 1) It would be nice if the app at least notified you when it was about to close a connection while in the background. Termius does this on it’s free plan, and has a work around to keep connections open even longer on their much more expensive premium plan. 2) Mosh support would be nice. 3) I feel like the developer is unknown, and their website doesn’t even mention this app. Very strange considering how well executed this app seems.

Firstly, this a solid app that absolutely delivers what it should, a full-fledged ssh session on the iPad. It is certainly worth paying for.

That said…this is my “backup” ssh client. There are a couple of cases where I have to use it to correct something that jumbled the display, and it has always come through for me. But I am no kind of iPad power-user; the gesture I have mastered is not one the iPad responds too (alas). This app is just a little too creaky in the user settings area for me to be able to work the way I need to.

Truthfully, that is a minor point, and as long as the user is reasonably proficient with gestures and the iPad/iOS environment, I would say this is every bit as good as most of the ssh clients, and it has a great price with good support.

The app also requires the user to “thumb” in on each launch, and it will not switch back and forth between foreground and background. For me, this is a feature, and a good one. It prevents careless use of what is, after all, a secure session on an important asset. I do not know if that behavior is configurable or not—since I like it, I have no interest in altering it.

A very slick, polished app, and it surprises by doing something useful when you start to think “I wish it would...” and you gets surprised when it does it (or comes very close).

It is clear the product has been developed by people who have logged many, many hours of left seat time working via SSH. They know what is useful and what just gives “good demo”.

The upgrade to the Pro version is exactly that. If all you ever do with SSH is login to reset the time or run backups, you may not need the upgrade. But it is a nice example of how to have a baseline product which isn’t lame-ware, and a Pro upgrade that isn’t just LEDs in the wheel wells.

And the upgrade price is a real bargain.

If this were a diner, the touring musician’s rating would be “Good Grease!”