Visual cockpit vs raw SSH terminal

FishMux, Termius, Prompt 3, Blink Shell, WebSSH. The honest 2026 comparison.

Most iOS "SSH apps" hand you a terminal and stop there: you still type docker ps, squint at the columns, scroll your docker logs, and remember tmux shortcuts on a touch keyboard. FishMux takes a different angle — it's a visual Docker and tmux cockpit that happens to ride on a secure SSH connection. So this isn't "which terminal is prettiest"; it's do you want to see and touch your containers and sessions, or type at them? Here's how FishMux compares on the axes that follow from that.

Quick comparison

FishMuxTermiusPrompt 3Blink ShellWebSSH
Visual Docker & ComposeYes — live stats, logs, shell, start/stop/restartNo (type in terminal)NoNoNo
Visual tmux (touch panel)Yes — tap to attach, swipe to killNoNo (CLI only)CLI onlyNo
tmux inside containersYesNoNoManual via CLINo
Wake-on-LANYes — LAN + relay hostNoNoNoNo
One-tap quick commandsYesSnippets (Pro)SnippetsAliases (CLI)No
On-device Ed25519 keysYes — one-tap deploy, KeychainManualManualManualManual
No tracking / analyticsZeroYes (analytics)ZeroLimitedLimited
Subscription requiredNoYes (Pro)NoYes (default)No
PriceFree, then 5 € one-timeFree + 9.99$/mo14.99 €19.99$/yr or 49.99$ lifetime6.99 €

TL;DR

Pick FishMux if you run Docker and tmux and want to see and touch them from your phone — containers, Compose stacks, sessions, plus Wake-on-LAN with a relay host, no subscription, no tracking. Pick Termius if you need cloud sync of plain hosts across many platforms. Pick Prompt 3 for a polished one-time SSH terminal. Pick Blink Shell if you live in mosh + vim on a CLI.

Detailed take

FishMuxFree, then 5 € one-time

Pros: Visual Docker and Compose (live CPU/memory, logs, shell, start/stop/restart), tmux as a touch panel on hosts and inside containers, Wake-on-LAN over the LAN or through a relay host, one-tap quick commands. On-device Ed25519 keys in the Keychain, TOFU verification. No subscription, no tracking, no cloud.

Cons: iOS only (no macOS/Web). No cloud sync between devices — intentional, for privacy. Aimed at people who actually run Docker/tmux; overkill if you just need an occasional shell.

Best for: Developers and homelabbers who manage containers and long-running sessions and want a visual cockpit on their phone.

View FishMux

TermiusFree + 9.99$/mo

Pros: Multi-platform (iOS, macOS, Linux, Windows, Web), cloud sync, snippets, port forwarding, SFTP, mosh.

Cons: No visual Docker or tmux — you type everything in a terminal. Aggressive subscription: nearly all useful features (port forwarding, key management, multiple devices) require Pro. Sends usage analytics. Heavy app.

Best for: Teams syncing many plain hosts across platforms with a budget for monthly subscriptions.

Prompt 314.99 € one-time

Pros: Polished SSH terminal, one-time purchase, iCloud sync of hosts, no tracking. Clipboard tools, snippet library.

Cons: No Docker UI, no tmux integration, no Wake-on-LAN. It's a terminal, not a cockpit — and pricier than FishMux.

Best for: Users in the Apple ecosystem who want a clean, established SSH terminal and don't need container or session tooling.

Blink Shell19.99$/yr or 49.99$ lifetime

Pros: Mosh support, full Linux-like experience (mosh, ssh, scp, sftp, vim, tmux via CLI), keyboard shortcuts power-user oriented.

Cons: Everything is CLI — Docker and tmux are commands you type, with no visual panel. Steep learning curve. Subscription is the default.

Best for: Power users who want a UNIX shell on iOS more than a visual cockpit.

WebSSH6.99 € one-time

Pros: Cheap, simple, minimal.

Cons: No Docker UI, no tmux, no Wake-on-LAN, basic terminal, no iPad-optimized layout.

Best for: Occasional shell access only. Limited daily-driver appeal.

Which one should you pick?

If you read down to here, you probably want a real recommendation:

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