ColliePWA vs Termius
Both reach your own machine from your phone. Termius is a native SSH client for phone and desktop. ColliePWA is an open-source web app that your machine serves to your phone's browser, built around the agents in your terminal.
Termius details checked on 7 November 2026 from termius.com.
What ColliePWA brings
Self-hosted, no relay
Your machine serves the app, with no account and no vendor server in the path.
Your desk stays put
It hooks into the multiplexer you already run. No wrapper CLI, no new desktop app.
Pick up mid-turn
The phone shows the same panes as your desk. Answer there, then sit down where you left off.
WalkyTalky messages
Agents send each other short signed messages across your crew, and you can message any session.
Crew failover
If the lead goes down, a deputy you named opens its standby door for your phone.
Large screens
On a tablet or an open foldable, several panes sit side by side beside a sidebar.
Rows led: ColliePWA 7, Termius 1.
A green check marks the side that leads on that row.
| Feature | ColliePWA | Termius |
|---|---|---|
| What you install | A web app your machine serves | Native apps for iPhone, iPad, Android and desktop; a general SSH client |
| Source code | Leads on this row. Open source, MIT | No public source code |
| Price | Leads on this row. Free | Free Starter plan; Pro $10/mo paid yearly on the web |
| Connection | Phone browser to your machine, via Tailscale by default | SSH, Mosh, Telnet and serial, direct |
| Multiplexers | Leads on this row. Herdr and the Herdr app; tmux and zellij are experimental | None built in; attach to tmux with a per-host startup command |
| Agents | Any terminal agent in your panes | Any terminal agent; a per-host startup command can launch one |
| What needs you | Leads on this row. Status view lists waiting agents first | No list of agents or approvals |
| Control keys | Keys tray: Esc, Ctrl+C, arrows, modifiers, F1 to F12 | Customizable shortcut bar; drag gestures for arrow keys |
| Push notifications | Leads on this row. Opt-in; on iPhone, only from the home-screen app | No agent notifications; Live Activities show active connections |
| Voice input | On-device dictation with Whistle, or on your host; opt-in | Speech-to-text field, plus your keyboard's dictation |
| Lock Screen and Apple Watch | Not available | Leads on this row. Live Activity for connections; no Apple Watch app |
| Machines and devices | Crews: several machines behind one URL, with failover | Saved hosts; cloud vault sync with Pro |
| Agents message each other | Leads on this row. WalkyTalky: signed messages between sessions, across the crew | Not documented |
| If a machine goes down | Leads on this row. A deputy you named takes over for your phone | Each host connects on its own |
Termius
Where Termius is ahead
- Termius is a native app on phone and desktop, and Pro syncs one vault across all of them. ColliePWA is a web app in your phone's browser.
- Termius speaks Mosh, so a session survives a network change. ColliePWA has no Mosh support.
- It is a full SSH toolkit, with SFTP, port forwarding, jump hosts and serial. ColliePWA is not a general SSH client.
- Termius has shared vaults and SSO for teams. ColliePWA has no team features.
- It works with any host that runs sshd, with nothing to install on the server. ColliePWA needs Collie running on your machine.
ColliePWA
Where ColliePWA is ahead
- ColliePWA lists your agents and puts the ones waiting on you first, and you answer a prompt with a tap. Termius shows a terminal on a small screen.
- ColliePWA can push to your phone when an agent waits on you, if you opt in. Termius documents no agent notifications.
- ColliePWA is MIT-licensed. You can read the code that talks to your machine, change it, and run your own build. Termius has no public source code.
- It opens in any phone browser, on iPhone or Android, and installs to the home screen without an app store.
- Every feature is free, with no account and no plan to pick. Termius has a free Starter plan and paid Pro, Team and Business plans.
- WalkyTalky lets one agent session send a short signed message to another, on any machine in your crew. You can message any session from your phone too.
- A crew puts several machines behind one URL. If the lead goes down, a deputy you named opens its standby door and your phone connects through it.
Termius · ColliePWA
Which one to pick
Pick Termius if you want a native app, Mosh, a full SSH toolkit, or one vault of hosts across phone and desktop. It also works with any host that runs sshd.
Pick ColliePWA if you run coding agents in Herdr, tmux or zellij and want the ones waiting on you listed first. It fits if you want open-source software that you host, with every feature free.