Core Shell
Core Shell is a terminal app for managing hosts and opening remote shell sessions with built-in OpenSSH support.
What Core Shell is
Core Shell is a terminal app for managing hosts and opening remote shell sessions with built-in OpenSSH support. It supports SSH certificates and proxy jump, and its maker says users can sign in to remote hosts with one click. Tags help organize large host collections, while per-host advanced SSH options come with contextual help. The app can attempt to restore connections after a network failure or waking from sleep, and uses macOS Keychain to store passphrases. It also supports USB, Bluetooth, and built-in serial interfaces, including common UART, RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 adapters. The terminal supports compatibility with Terminal.app, iTerm2, and xterm, with ANSI 16-color, 256-color, and 24-bit true color modes. SFTP is supported and sessions use tabs. The free Basic plan allows unlimited hosts. Premium costs $29.99 a year, billed as a 4-Year License, and adds unlimited SSH and serial connections, profile import and export, sync across Macs, Shortcuts automation, and priority support. Core Shell is listed for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Good
- Free Basic plan includes unlimited hosts
- Supports SSH certificates and proxy jump
- Serial support covers USB, Bluetooth, and built-in interfaces
- SFTP and tabbed sessions are supported
- Passphrases are stored in macOS Keychain
Watch out
- Port forwarding is not supported
- App Store version omits local terminal access
- Some SSH configuration and forwarding features are omitted
Who it suits
It suits Apple-device users who need SSH/OpenSSH, SFTP, or serial connections and want to organize many hosts. Mac users seeking profile sync or Shortcuts automation can consider Premium.
Verdict
Core Shell covers remote shells, SFTP, and serial connections across listed Apple platforms, with host organization and connection recovery attempts. The App Store version has specific feature omissions, and Premium is listed at $29.99 a year billed as a 4-Year License.
Plans and prices
From Core Shell's own pricing page, checked 7 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Basic | Free | Unlimited hosts |
| Premium | $29.99 a year | Unlimited SSH and serial connections · Import and export profiles · Sync profiles and tags across all your Macs · Shortcuts automation · Priority customer support · 4-Year License |
The facts
Each one read from Core Shell's own pages, with the date it was checked.
The company
- Company
- The maker identifies Codinn Technologies Co., Ltd. in its copyright notice.checked 7 Oct 2026
What it does
- Host management
- Users can organize hundreds or thousands of hosts with tags and edit per-host advanced SSH options with contextual help.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Premium features include profile syncing across Macs and workflow automation with the Shortcuts app.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Keychain
- Core Shell integrates with macOS Keychain to store passphrases.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Login
- The maker says users can log in to a remote host with one click.checked 7 Oct 2026
- OpenSSH
- It supports OpenSSH features including remote shell sessions, certificates, and proxy jump.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says app data is stored locally and in iCloud Drive when sync is enabled, and saved passwords and passphrases are stored locally in macOS Keychain rather than sent remotely.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Privacy collection
- The App Store listing reports that the developer indicated the app does not collect data.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Core Shell is a terminal with built-in OpenSSH support for managing hosts and logging in to remote shells.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Reconnect
- The app tries to restore connections after network failure or waking from sleep.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Serial connections
- The App Store listing says Core Shell supports USB, Bluetooth, and built-in serial interfaces and common UART, RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 adapters.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker directs users to its community to request support, report bugs, discuss ideas, and provide feedback.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Terminal compatibility
- The App Store listing says the terminal is compatible with Terminal.app, iTerm2, and xterm and supports ANSI 16-color, 256-color, and 24-bit true color modes.checked 7 Oct 2026
- Version limits
- The maker says the App Store version omits local terminal access, authentication agent access, reuse of system SSH configuration and known-host files, X11 forwarding, and certain SSH directives.checked 7 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Platform availability
- The App Store lists Core Shell for Mac, iPad, and iPhone; the Codinn download page specifies macOS 15.0 or later.checked 7 Oct 2026
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