An SSH and tmux alternative for your phone
SSH and tmux are free, proven and work with any server. They're also built for a keyboard and a stable connection. PandaSend does one narrower job, your computer's sessions on your phone, and trades generality for fewer moving parts.
At a glance
| SSH + tmux | PandaSend | |
|---|---|---|
| What you install | An SSH app on the phone; an SSH server and tmux on the computer | PandaSend on the computer; nothing on the phone (it uses the browser) |
| Reaching the computer from outside | Port forwarding, a VPN, or a mesh network app | Built in: both sides connect out to the relay |
| Sign-in | SSH keys or a password | Scan a one-time QR code; revoke per device |
| Survives a dropped connection | Yes, if you remembered to start tmux first | Yes, always: sessions live on the computer |
| Reconnecting | Reconnect SSH, then reattach tmux (mosh helps) | Automatic, and shows only what you missed |
| Phone keyboard | Depends on the app | Esc, Tab, Ctrl and arrows on a key bar; typing stays above the keyboard |
| Two devices on one session | Yes (tmux attach from both) | Yes, and the terminal fits whoever typed last |
| Encryption | SSH, end to end | Local HTTPS at home; end-to-end encrypted through the relay |
| Works with | Any server: Linux, BSD, Mac, cloud machines | Your Mac, Windows PC (beta) or Linux machine, including servers |
| Cost | Free and open source | Free on your Wi-Fi; remote access $4.99 a month per computer after a 14-day free trial |
When SSH and tmux are the better choice
- You manage servers, not just your own computer. SSH works everywhere; PandaSend doesn't.
- You already have it set up and it works for you. There's no need to switch.
- You need file transfer, port forwarding or scripting over the connection. PandaSend is only a terminal.
- You want everything open source and self-hosted.
When PandaSend is the better choice
- You want your computer's sessions on your phone and nothing to maintain. No keys to copy, no router settings, no tmux to remember.
- You run long jobs or coding agents, and mostly need to glance at progress and answer a question.
- You're often on mobile networks, where connections drop and switch. PandaSend reconnects by itself and resumes exactly where you were.
- You want the phone side to feel like a phone app: add it to your Home Screen, swipe to scroll, and keep the prompt in view.
What about mosh?
Mosh fixes a lot of what's painful about SSH on phones: it survives roaming and sleep, and echoes your typing instantly. It still needs a way to reach your computer from outside (it uses UDP ports, which many networks block), an app that supports it, and tmux if you want a session to outlive the connection completely. If mosh already works for you, it's a great setup.
For a longer walk through all the options, read SSH, tmux, mosh or PandaSend: reaching your computer's terminal from a phone.