Termius is a popular SSH client with cloud sync and mobile apps. RockTerm is a full-featured terminal emulator built for network professionals who manage real infrastructure. Here's how they compare.
Team plan: $720/user. Business: $1,080/user.
The Math
Termius charges per user, per month, forever. RockTerm is a one-time purchase.
RockTerm
No per-seat pricing. No tier upgrades.
Free trial with full functionality.
Year 2 cost: $0. Year 3 cost: $0.
See our Support & Updates Policy →
Termius
Team: $240/year per user
Business: $360/year per user
Enterprise: Custom pricing
Year 2 cost: same. Year 3 cost: same.
Feature-by-Feature Comparison
Green = included. Yellow = partial or limited. Gray = not available.
| Feature | RockTerm ($49.99) | Termius (from $120/yr) |
|---|---|---|
| Protocols | ||
| SSH2 | Yes | Yes |
| Telnet | Yes | Yes |
| Serial (RS-232) | Yes — full config, auto-detect | Limited — mobile cable only |
| RDP (Remote Desktop) | Yes — in tabs | No |
| Raw Sockets | Yes | No |
| Mosh | No | Yes |
| Local Shell | Yes | Yes |
| SSH Capabilities | ||
| Public Key Auth (RSA, Ed25519, ECDSA) | Yes | Yes |
| OpenSSH Certificate Auth | Yes | No |
| SSH Agent Forwarding | Yes | Yes |
| Jump Host / Bastion | Yes | Yes |
| Dynamic Port Forwarding (SOCKS) | Yes — SOCKS4/4a/5 | Limited |
| Local & Remote Port Forwarding | Yes — with wizard | Yes |
| Full Cipher/KEX/MAC Selection | Yes — per algorithm | No |
| SSH Key Manager | Yes — generate, convert, upload | Basic keychain |
| Host Key Manager | Yes — view, export, delete | No |
| File Transfer | ||
| SFTP Browser | Yes — dockable panel | Yes |
| Zmodem (auto-detect) | Yes | No |
| Xmodem | Yes | No |
| Ymodem | Yes | No |
| ASCII File Transfer | Yes | No |
| Built-in TFTP Server | Yes — RFC 1350 | No |
| Drag-and-Drop File Upload | Yes | No |
| Scripting & Automation | ||
| Expect-Style Scripting | Yes — full engine | No |
| Python Scripting | Yes | No |
| Script Recorder | Yes — records send/expect pairs | No |
| Script Editor (syntax-highlighted) | Yes | No |
| Triggers (pattern-based actions) | Yes | No |
| Auto-Login Scripts | Yes | No |
| Post-Connect Commands | Yes | No |
| Command Snippets | Yes — with shortcuts | Yes (paid plans) |
| Built-In Network Tools | ||
| Subnet Calculator | Yes | No |
| Subnet Splitter | Yes | No |
| Route Summarization | Yes | No |
| Wildcard Converter | Yes | No |
| CIDR Reference | Yes | No |
| IPv6 Prefix Splitter | Yes | No |
| EUI-64 Helper | Yes | No |
| Prefix-List Generator | Yes | No |
| Regex Lab | Yes | No |
| Log Extractor | Yes | No |
| Session Management | ||
| Session Manager (tree view) | Yes — folders, search, filter | Yes — groups, tags |
| Batch Edit Sessions | Yes — multi-select | No |
| CSV/TSV Import Wizard | Yes | No |
| Import from PuTTY/SecureCRT | Yes | No |
| Named Credential Profiles | Yes — encrypted vault | Yes — cloud vault |
| Named Firewall/Proxy Profiles | Yes | No |
| Layout Snapshots | Yes | No |
| Active Sessions Manager | Yes — bulk ops | No |
| Connect on Startup | Yes | No |
| Interface & Display | ||
| Tabbed Sessions | Yes | Yes |
| Tiled / Split Pane View | Yes — MDI with floating tiles | Limited split |
| Tab Groups | Yes | No |
| Tab Status Indicators | Yes — connected/activity dots | No |
| Session Locking | Yes — password protect | No |
| Hex View | Yes | No |
| 24-bit Truecolor | Yes | Yes |
| Color Schemes (10+ built-in) | Yes + theme editor | Yes |
| Button Bar | Yes — color-coded commands | No |
| Command Window (multi-line) | Yes | No |
| Command Manager (folders) | Yes | No |
| Scratchpad | Yes | No |
| Send to All/Selected Sessions | Yes | No |
| Keyboard & Input | ||
| Custom Key Mappings | Yes — per session | Limited |
| Graphical Keyboard Editor | Yes | No |
| Shareable Keymap Files | Yes — export/import | No |
| Emacs Mode (Alt as Meta) | Yes | No |
| Logging & Auditing | ||
| Session Logging to File | Yes — ANSI stripping | Bookmarks only (paid) |
| Log Rotation (date & size) | Yes | No |
| Dynamic Filename Templates | Yes — {host}, {date}, etc. | No |
| Auto-Start Logging on Connect | Yes | No |
| Command-Line Log Option | Yes — --log flag | No |
| Highlighting & Pattern Matching | ||
| Real-Time Keyword Highlighting | Yes — regex support | No |
| Ad Hoc Quick Highlight | Yes — toolbar field | No |
| AI Assistance | ||
| Built-In AI Panel | Yes — docked chat | Autocomplete only |
| Right-Click Send as Context | Yes | No |
| Multi-Turn Chat History | Yes | No |
| Choose Your AI Provider | Yes — Claude or GPT | Termius AI only |
| AI Opt-In (disabled by default) | Yes — your key, your choice | Built into product |
| Privacy & Data | ||
| All Data Stays Local | Yes — no cloud, no telemetry | Cloud vault — data leaves your machine |
| No Telemetry | Yes | Analytics collected |
| Encrypted Local Credential Vault | Yes — AES | Cloud-based vault |
| Other | ||
| Anti-Idle / Keep-Alive | Yes | Yes |
| URL Click-to-Open | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-Line Paste Confirmation | Yes | No |
| Block (Column) Selection | Yes | No |
| ANSI Color Copy to Clipboard | Yes | No |
| Host-Based Printing | Yes | No |
| Print Screen/Selection | Yes | No |
| IPv6 Support | Yes | Yes |
| Section 508 Accessibility | Yes | No |
| Cross-Platform (mobile + desktop) | Windows only | Yes — all platforms |
| Cloud Sync Across Devices | No — local only | Yes (paid plans) |
| Real-Time Collaboration | No | Yes (Team+ plans) |
Where RockTerm Pulls Ahead
Built for Network Engineers
12 built-in network tools (subnet calc, route summarization, prefix-list generator, regex lab, and more) that Termius simply doesn't have. You don't need a second app for basic network math.
Real Scripting Engine
Expect-style automation with Python support, a script recorder, syntax-highlighted editor, and triggers. Termius has snippets. RockTerm has a full programming environment for terminal automation.
7 File Transfer Protocols
SFTP, Zmodem (auto-detect), Xmodem, Ymodem, ASCII, TFTP server, and drag-and-drop upload. Termius has SFTP. If you've ever needed to push firmware to a switch over TFTP, you know this matters.
Your Data Never Leaves
No cloud vault. No sync service. No telemetry. Credentials are encrypted locally with AES. Termius syncs your data through their servers — fine for some, a non-starter for others.
Professional Session Logging
Log rotation by date and size, dynamic filename templates, auto-start on connect, ANSI stripping, and command-line log flags. Built for environments where audit trails are required, not optional.
You Own Your AI
RockTerm's AI uses your own API key (Claude or GPT), is disabled by default, and gives you a full chat panel with context selection. Termius bakes AI into the product with no provider choice. AI usage is billed directly by your chosen provider, not by Rock River Research.
What about cross-platform and cloud sync?
Termius runs on macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android in addition to Windows. If you need to SSH from your phone or sync sessions across a MacBook and an iPad, Termius does that. It also supports Mosh for high-latency connections and offers real-time session sharing for team collaboration.
RockTerm is Windows-only and keeps everything local — and that's a deliberate security decision, not a missing feature. Here's why:
Cloud-synced credentials are a high-value target. When a vendor stores your SSH keys, passwords, and session bookmarks on their servers, a single breach exposes every connection you've ever saved — across every device. This isn't hypothetical; credential-syncing services have been breached before, and terminal emulators hold the keys to production infrastructure.
RockTerm's local-only architecture aligns with real-world security standards and best practices:
- NIST SP 800-53 (SC-28, SC-12) — Recommends protecting credentials at rest and minimizing key distribution. Local-only storage eliminates the third-party sync vector entirely.
- CIS Controls v8 (Control 6) — Calls for centralized credential management under your organization's control, not a SaaS vendor's cloud.
- Zero Trust Architecture (NIST SP 800-207) — A core Zero Trust principle: minimize implicit trust in third-party intermediaries. Your SSH keys should not transit or reside on infrastructure you don't own.
- SOC 2 / ISO 27001 — Both frameworks require documented control over sensitive credential storage. Local storage with AES encryption under a master password you control is straightforward to audit and certify.
- PCI DSS Requirement 8 — Mandates strong access-credential management. Syncing credentials to a vendor cloud introduces a shared-responsibility gap that complicates PCI compliance.
RockTerm encrypts your credential vault locally with AES under a master password that never leaves your machine. No cloud account, no sync servers, no vendor breach surface. If your security posture matters — and if you're managing network infrastructure, it does — keeping credentials local isn't a limitation. It's the point.
Also see: RockTerm vs SecureCRT
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