A power-user Prompt 3 alternative for macOS
Prompt 3 is a beautifully designed iOS and Mac SSH client. Upshell is tailored for macOS sysadmins and developers who need advanced multi-pane split terminals, bastion routing, SOCKS5 tunnels, and integrated SFTP.
Panic Prompt is well-regarded for its refined UI and iOS ecosystem presence. However, power users on macOS often hit limits when managing complex infrastructure: setting up multi-hop ProxyJump chains, tracking active port forwards, or performing file operations right inside the active shell connection.
Upshell brings a full workstation experience to macOS: tabbed terminal with arbitrary horizontal and vertical splits, in-process SSH agent, ProxyJump up to 8 hops, and co-session SFTP — all backed by Swift & SwiftNIO with no forced subscription.
Should you switch from Prompt?
If you connect from an iPhone or an iPad as well as a Mac, keep Prompt — the shared experience across Apple devices is exactly what you are paying for and Upshell has no mobile version at all. Switch if your work happens at a desk and you have started running into ceilings on jump chains, tunnels and in-session file work.
Prompt is a well-made app from a company that has been shipping good Mac and iOS software for a long time, and the design is not the reason anyone leaves it. The reason, when there is one, is scope: it is built to be excellent at connecting from anywhere, not to be an operations console.
Upshell takes the desk-bound case and pushes on it — arbitrary horizontal and vertical splits, ProxyJump chains up to eight hops with per-hop verification, a live panel for local, remote and SOCKS5 forwards, and a file browser sharing the shell’s own channel. All of that is weight you would not want on a phone, which is roughly why the two apps diverge.
Upshell vs Panic Prompt, feature by feature
An honest snapshot — a ✓ means the feature ships today, notes mark the differences that matter.
| Feature | Upshell | Panic Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free · FULL $9.99/yr or $39.99 once (US; varies by store) | 99,99 $ one-time or subscription |
| SSH & PTY terminal splits | ✓ | ✓ |
| Co-session SFTP (no separate tab) | ✓ | Separate file browser tab |
| In-process secure Agent Forwarding | FULL | — |
| Local, Remote, and SOCKS Port Forwarding | FULL | Basic port forwarding |
| Multi-hop ProxyJump (up to 8 bastions) | FULL | Single jump host |
| Import from ~/.ssh/config | FULL · with preview plan | ✓ |
| Security layer free forever | ✓ | Paid app |
| iOS & iPadOS version | — | ✓ |
Where Panic Prompt is still the right choice
- You need a unified SSH experience across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- You prefer Panic's aesthetic style and clip-based snippet management.
- You want Panic Sync across mobile devices.
Where Upshell excels on macOS
- Co-session SFTP: file browser shares the shell's exact SSH channel with zero secondary login required.
- Multi-hop ProxyJump: chain up to 8 jump hosts with independent authentication and TOFU host key verification per hop.
- Advanced Port Forwarding: live status panel for local, remote, and dynamic SOCKS5 tunnels.
- Free Core Security Layer: keys, passphrases, 2FA, and host key pinning are 100% free forever.
What actually changes day to day
Four differences you notice within the first week — and the reasoning behind each.
Chains, not a single jump host
One jump host covers most people. It stops covering you the moment infrastructure is segmented — an edge bastion, then a per-environment jump box, then the machine you actually wanted.
Upshell FULL follows chains up to eight hops, and each hop authenticates on its own and has its own host key verified rather than trusting the tunnel wholesale. Connecting through an SSH bastion covers what ProxyJump does underneath.
Tunnels you can see
Basic port forwarding gets a rule up. What is harder is knowing, an hour later, which rules are still alive — especially with a dynamic SOCKS5 proxy that half your tooling is quietly routed through.
Upshell FULL keeps local, remote and dynamic rules in a status panel with live state. SSH port forwarding explains the three kinds, and tunnelling to a database covers the case most people hit first.
Files without a second login
A separate file browser tab means a separate SSH session, which means authenticating again — and on a host behind a one-time code or a bastion chain, that is the part that grates.
Upshell’s browser shares the shell’s existing channel, so there is no second prompt and no second entry in the server’s auth log. On hosts using keyboard-interactive two-factor, this is the difference between glancing at a file and sighing first.
Where the free line is drawn
Prompt is a paid app, straightforwardly. Upshell splits differently: connecting, authenticating and verifying host keys are free permanently, and the paid tier is the productivity layer on top — splits, tunnels, ProxyJump, agent forwarding, snippets, history, sync.
The split is enforced in the source by a typed table with a test that fails the build if a security feature crosses it. That is a deliberate design constraint rather than a pricing promise, which is the only kind worth stating on a page like this.
Common questions
Can I transfer my hosts from Prompt?
Is there a free tier in Upshell?
What is the best Panic Prompt alternative for Mac?
Does Upshell have an iPhone or iPad version?
Is Upshell cheaper than Prompt?
Can I move my Prompt hosts across?
Try Upshell free, decide later
The core is free forever — unlimited SSH host connections, tabs, and co-session SFTP. No trial clock, no subscription.
Download on the Mac App StoreRead next: Connect through an SSH bastion · SSH port forwarding on a Mac · Two-factor prompts over SSH
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