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QuickTUI vs dotMux
QuickTUI and dotMux both help you work with terminals or AI agents from your phone, but they start from different places. This page explains how they differ.
What dotMux is
dotMux is a native iPhone and iPad SSH client that speaks tmux control mode and rebuilds your remote workspace as real iOS UI: tmux windows become native tabs and panes become native views, much like iTerm2 on the Mac. It connects over direct SSH only, needs no account and collects no analytics.
What QuickTUI is
QuickTUI is a native iPhone, iPad, and Android (Preview) app that connects to the QuickTUI server on your computer, so you can attach to the sessions already running there and run and supervise any CLI agent from your phone. What sets it apart:
- A real terminal on your existing sessions
- Attaches directly to the tmux and Herdr sessions on your computer. No wrapper changes how you launch agents, and your desktop and your phone share the same session.
- Agent status at a glance
- With Herdr, the Session Manager shows whether each agent is idle, working, waiting for input, or done, so you can see which one needs you.
- Setup and pairing in one step
- The setup wizard installs the server over SSH once and pairs automatically. After that, you never manage SSH on your phone.
- End-to-end encrypted, direct by default
- Everything between your phone and your computer is end-to-end encrypted. Away from your network, connect through a VPN, a tunnel, or the optional QuickTUI Cloud relay without opening SSH to the internet.
- Built for working on a phone
- The Agent Wizard includes launch settings for 19 popular agents, and the Command Palette has more than 500 commands. You also get stackable Shortcuts Bars, an Input Bar with file and image attachments, a file manager, and port forwarding with a built-in browser.
- A one-time purchase
- On iOS, QuickTUI is free for one computer, and Pro is a one-time purchase ($39.99 USD) for unlimited computers, with no subscription. The Android preview includes every feature for free.
Side by side
- Interface
- QuickTUI: A full terminal and a chat view, plus a Session Manager, Agent Wizard, file manager and port forwardingdotMux: Native iOS tabs and panes, with a multi-line composer
- How it connects
- QuickTUI: The app connects to the QuickTUI server on your computer, directly on your network or through a VPN, a tunnel or the optional QuickTUI Cloud relay. The setup wizard installs the server once over SSHdotMux: Direct SSH from your phone to your servers
- Vendor cloud in the path
- QuickTUI: Direct to your computer by default; through the QuickTUI Cloud relay, only end-to-end encrypted data is forwardeddotMux: No vendor servers
- tmux / Herdr
- QuickTUI: Native tmux and Herdr support, with Luvus available when enabled manually; with Herdr, each agent's status is showndotMux: Native tmux through tmux control mode; no mention of Herdr
- Agents
- QuickTUI: Any CLI agent that runs in a terminal; the Agent Wizard includes launch settings for 19 popular agentsdotMux: Any CLI agent, without agent status or notifications
- Platforms
- QuickTUI: iPhone, iPad and Android (Preview)dotMux: iPhone and iPad (iOS 26 or later)
- Pricing
- QuickTUI: Free for one computer; Pro is a one-time purchase ($39.99 on the US App Store) for unlimited computers; the QuickTUI Cloud relay includes free monthly traffic, with a subscription for regular use; the Android (Preview) app is free during the previewdotMux: Free for one saved host; unlimited hosts for a one-time $1.99
- China App Store
- QuickTUI: YesdotMux: Yes
QuickTUI is free to download from the App Store; see the install guide to set it up.
Information about dotMux is based on its website and App Store listing as of September 2026. Check dotMux's site for the latest details.