TermBuddy — chat with your servers from iPhone, iPad, and Mac
TermBuddy turns terminal work into a conversation. Manage your Linux servers from your phone, tablet, or Mac by sending commands as chat messages and getting replies as chat bubbles — from the sofa, a café, or the train.
Key facts:
- Platforms: iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, kept in sync.
- AI coding agents: Claude Code, OpenCode, OpenAI Codex, and Gemini CLI, running directly on your server.
- Connection: your device connects straight to your server — no intermediate server, end-to-end encrypted.
- Pricing: free for 1 server forever; Pro is £9.99/year for unlimited servers, with a 1-month free trial.
- Download: iOS App Store · Mac App Store
What TermBuddy does
A sentence you type becomes a sequence of steps on your server. TermBuddy works through them, replies in chat, and the session stays alive even after you close the app — so long-running tasks keep going and notify you when they finish.
Features
Chat-style terminal
Send commands as messages and get responses as chat bubbles. Restarting a service, tailing logs, or deploying code feels as natural as texting.
Real AI agents on your server
Run Claude Code, OpenCode, OpenAI Codex, or Gemini CLI to write scripts, debug errors, or explain your server — the agents run on your own machine.
End-to-end encryption
Connect over an SSH tunnel, or over TLS 1.3 with certificate pinning. Your device talks directly to your server with no third party in between.
Real-time streaming
Output is pushed live over Server-Sent Events, so you watch builds, logs, and deploys happen with no buffering.
Push notifications
When a long task finishes, TermBuddy notifies you — you don't need to keep the app open.
Built-in file browser
Browse, upload, and download files, and preview Markdown, PDFs, and images without switching to a separate SFTP client.
iPhone, Mac, and Apple Watch in sync
Start a task on your Mac, follow it on your iPhone, and check the result on your Apple Watch — the same session, everywhere.
Security
TermBuddy connects your device directly to your server with no intermediary and no third-party cloud. Commands, files, and outputs travel only between your devices and your server.
- Direct device-to-server: nothing of ours sits in the middle.
- SSH tunnel and TLS: SSH mode encrypts over SSH; Direct mode uses TLS 1.3 with certificate pinning and AES-256.
- Credentials in the Keychain: server credentials and API tokens are stored only in the system Keychain on your device — not in our cloud and not in backups.
How setup works (four steps)
- Add a server — enter its IP address and SSH credentials.
- Agent auto-installs — TermBuddy installs a lightweight (~6 MB) Go agent as a systemd service. You never SSH in manually.
- Create your Buddies — each Buddy is a persistent session, e.g. one for monitoring, one for deploys, one for logs.
- Start chatting — from iPhone, Mac, or any signed-in device, send a message.
Pricing
Free — £0, forever: control 1 server, unlimited Buddies, unlimited AI engines (Claude Code, OpenCode, Codex, Gemini CLI), end-to-end encryption, file browser, and push notifications. No card required.
Pro — £9.99/year: everything in Free, plus unlimited servers and priority support. Includes a 1-month free trial, billed once a year through the App Store. See the full pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How do I pay?
Through the iOS or Mac App Store. Payment is handled securely by Apple — your card details never touch TermBuddy.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Manage or cancel from Settings, your Apple ID, then Subscriptions. Pro stays active until the end of the paid period.
Why does the price differ by region?
Apple sets local prices per storefront, so exchange rates cause small differences. You always see the exact amount before confirming.
Is there a free trial?
Yes — Pro comes with a 1-month free trial. Cancel anytime before it ends from your Apple ID and you won't be charged.
Get TermBuddy
Download for iOS or Mac. Questions or feedback: atlai@atlai.co.uk · report an issue.