What kind of AI SSH client do you need?
"AI in the terminal" means three different things. Knowing which one you want cuts this list in half.
- A command helper. You describe a task, it writes the command, you run it. Wardterm, Secure ShellFish, La Terminal, Electerm.
- An agent inside the terminal. It plans and runs commands itself, within permissions you set. Warp, Electerm, iTerm2, Wave, Termius in beta.
- A home for your coding agents. Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI run on your server, and the client keeps them alive and tells you when they ask. Wardterm, Moshi, Secure ShellFish.
Then ask three questions of any app: where the model runs, what it can see, and what it may do without you.
The 10 best AI SSH clients
1. Wardterm
Wardterm is an SSH client with one encrypted vault for your servers, keys and passwords. Its AI work happens in two places: Agents, for the coding agents you run on servers, and Ask, for commands.
How its AI works
- Agents, in Pro. Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI in your sessions show up in one list with their state: Working, Waiting for you, Done. When one asks, its real choices appear as buttons. AI agents.
- Agents that survive the network. Keep This Session moves the session into tmux on the server, free on every plan, and Wardterm offers it when an AI tool starts.
- A notification when an agent waits. With Pro, session alerts arrive on your Mac or iPhone, and a yes or no question can be answered from the notification.
- Ask: checked commands. Up to four commands for the server's system, each option checked against the real options there. With Pro the model runs on your device.
- Written, never run. A chosen command goes on the line like a paste. On production servers Return asks first, and risky commands are marked.
- Good for
- People who run AI coding agents on servers, and anyone who wants help with commands that waits for their Return.
- Cost
- Free plan with Ask's checked library and Keep This Session. Agents, session alerts and the on-device AI are part of Pro, with a 14-day free trial.
- Platforms
- Mac, iPhone and iPad. More on Ask and Agents.
2. Termius
Termius is an SSH client for five systems with an encrypted cloud vault and AI features that keep growing.
Strengths
- AI autocomplete in the free Starter plan.
- An AI Agent in closed beta that never runs a command without your confirmation.
- A full client around it: SSH, SFTP, Mosh, team vaults and SAML single sign-on.
- Good for
- People who want AI help on desktop and mobile with one synced vault.
- Cost
- Free plan and paid plans.
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.
3. Warp
Warp describes its terminal as "an open-source terminal built for AI-assisted software development", with agents built in.
Strengths
- Built-in agents that plan and run work, with a choice of model.
- Your own AI inference on the free plan, and your own API keys on Business.
- Warp Factories, which coordinates fleets of agents, Claude Code and Codex included.
- Good for
- Developers who want agents doing the work inside the terminal.
- Cost
- Free plan, with paid plans for individuals and businesses.
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, Linux.
4. Wave Terminal
Wave is an open source (Apache-2.0) terminal with AI built in, and no login or account.
Strengths
- A wide choice of models: your own key for OpenAI, OpenRouter, Groq, Google and others, or local models with Ollama, LM Studio or vLLM.
- Wave AI reads terminal output and works with files.
- SSH sessions that survive network changes and restarts of the app.
- Good for
- Developers who want AI, remote files and terminal in one workspace and like to pick the model.
- Cost
- Free, with a free beta of its cloud AI.
- Platforms
- macOS, Windows, Linux.
5. iTerm2
iTerm2 is a free, open source terminal for macOS that runs the system ssh. Version 3.7, out on 8 September 2026, added a Claude Code integration and an iPhone companion app.
Strengths
- AI Chat with OpenAI or presets for Ollama, OpenRouter and other providers, models on your network included.
- Never, Ask or Always for each permission, such as running commands or seeing the screen.
- tmux integration with
tmux -CC, triggers and a Python API.
- Good for
- Mac users who live in
sshand tmux and want AI with a model they choose. - Cost
- Free.
- Platforms
- macOS.
6. Electerm
Electerm is a free, open source (MIT) client for terminals, files and remote desktops.
Strengths
- An AI assistant that suggests commands, writes scripts and explains selected output.
- An agent mode that carries out terminal operations, and an MCP widget for outside tools.
- OpenAI or Anthropic style APIs, and SSH, SFTP, Telnet, serial, RDP and VNC in one app.
- Good for
- A free all-in-one client with an AI agent on many systems.
- Cost
- Free.
- Platforms
- Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, HarmonyOS.
7. Termix
Termix is a free, open source (Apache-2.0), self-hosted server manager with an AI assistant.
Strengths
- Your choice of provider: Ollama, Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
- Off until an admin turns it on, and in the terminal nothing runs until you press Approve.
- Team features, session sharing and recording in the same tool.
- Good for
- Homelabs and teams who want AI under their own control.
- Cost
- Free.
- Platforms
- Self-hosted web, desktop apps, iOS and Android.
8. Secure ShellFish
Secure ShellFish is an SSH and SFTP client for Apple devices by Anders Borum.
Strengths
- Suggest Command writes a command with Apple's Private Cloud Compute, after reading the server's manual pages, and inserts it only when you choose Insert.
- Agent notifications for Claude Code, Codex CLI and OpenCode.
- Server files in Files and the Finder, tmux and Live Activities.
- Good for
- Apple users who want commands from plain words next to their server files.
- Cost
- Free with ads, with paid plans and a lifetime purchase.
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision, Apple Watch.
9. La Terminal
La Terminal by Xibbon is a Mosh and SSH client for Apple devices, aimed at remote hosts and AI coding agents.
Strengths
- An assistant that turns plain English into Linux, Mac or Windows commands.
- Mosh and tmux control mode, so agents keep running between visits.
- Good for
- Apple users who want an assistant together with tmux.
- Cost
- Free, with a paid Pro plan.
- Platforms
- iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple silicon, Apple Vision.
10. Moshi
Moshi is a terminal for checking on AI coding agents from anywhere. Agents run on your own machines, and Moshi connects over SSH, Mosh or Eternal Terminal.
Strengths
- A chat view of the agent, a task and usage board, and a diff viewer.
- Approvals on the Lock Screen, in the Dynamic Island and on Apple Watch.
- On-device dictation into the terminal.
- Good for
- Developers who follow coding agents from a phone.
- Cost
- Free, with a paid Pro plan.
- Platforms
- iPhone, Android, and a desktop app.
How do you run Claude Code or Codex over SSH without losing it?
Coding agents work for minutes or hours. Over SSH, the risk is not the AI, it is the connection: close the laptop, lose Wi-Fi, and the agent dies with the shell. The fix is old and reliable.
- Start it inside tmux on the server.
tmux new -A -s agent claude - Leave whenever you like. Press Ctrl-b, then d. The agent keeps working.
- Come back from any device.
ssh -t dev.example.com tmux attach -t agent
What tmux cannot do is tell you when the agent stops to ask "Allow this edit?". You find out only when you look.
That is the gap Wardterm fills. Keep This Session does the tmux part with one choice in the session menu, and reattaches by itself when the network is back. With Pro, Agents lists every agent in every session, and a session alert taps you on the shoulder when one waits. Connect Claude Code adds its context, tokens and usage limits to the agent's page. How Agents works.
The full setup is in our guides to running Claude Code on a server and using Claude Code from an iPhone.
Where does the AI run in each AI SSH client?
- On your device: Wardterm's Ask with Pro. Wave and iTerm2 can also use local models that you run yourself.
- On your own server: Termix calls the provider its admin sets, Ollama included.
- With a provider you choose: Warp, Wave, iTerm2 and Electerm accept your own key or endpoint.
- With the maker's service: Termius, Warp and Wave offer their own cloud AI.
- With Apple: Secure ShellFish uses Private Cloud Compute.
- On your machines: with Wardterm's Agents and with Moshi, the agents themselves run on your servers, with the model you chose for them.
Each choice has its place. A large hosted model handles long tasks well, a local model keeps the request on the device, and your own server keeps control with your team.
How does an AI terminal command generator get commands right?
A suggested command helps only if it exists on your server. ls --time-style works on Ubuntu and fails on macOS; sed -i behaves differently on each.
Wardterm checks every option of a suggestion against the real options of the server's system, and leaves out one that does not exist there. A command that matches a known example is marked Verified. Secure ShellFish has its model read the server's manual pages. La Terminal and Electerm also turn words into commands, each in its own way.
Whatever you use, read a command before you run it. The guide to running commands over SSH covers the basics.
Is there an AI SSH agent that runs commands for you?
Yes. Warp has built-in agents, Electerm has an agent mode, and iTerm2's AI Chat runs commands when you allow it. Termius has an AI Agent in closed beta that asks before each command.
The other route is to run a coding agent such as Claude Code on the server and let it work there, with its own permission prompts. Wardterm is built for that route: it keeps the session alive and puts the agent's questions in front of you, on the Mac or on the phone.
How should an SSH AI assistant behave on production servers?
A few habits matter more than the tool: a clear mark on risky commands, a clear rule about what runs without you, and an extra question before anything touches production.
The apps here describe their own rules. iTerm2 sets Never, Ask or Always for each permission. Termix keeps AI off until an admin turns it on and waits for Approve. The Termius agent confirms each command.
In Wardterm, risky commands such as deleting, formatting or stopping SSH are marked. A suggestion waits for Return, and on a server marked production Return asks again. When you answer an agent's question with a tap on a production server, Wardterm asks first too. The production safety page explains the warnings, and our guide on sudo over SSH covers the habits around them.
How to choose an SSH client with AI
- You run Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI on servers: Wardterm with Pro, or Moshi on the phone.
- You want help writing commands, with the model on your device: Wardterm.
- You want an agent that runs commands in the terminal: Warp, Electerm or iTerm2.
- You want to pick any model or provider: Wave, iTerm2, Termix or Electerm.
- You want AI autocomplete on a free plan: Termius Starter lists it.
Try two on the same server and keep the one that fits your day.
Want Mosh for your agent sessions on the move? See the best Mosh clients, or the Termius alternatives for full clients.
Questions
What is an SSH client with AI?
An SSH client that adds AI to the terminal. It can turn plain words into a command, run an agent that does a task, or follow AI coding agents you run on your servers. Each app in this list does one or more of these.
What is the best AI SSH client?
It depends on the job. Wardterm suits people who run Claude Code or Codex on servers and want checked commands; Warp suits agents that work inside the terminal; Wave and iTerm2 suit people who pick their own model.
How do I follow Claude Code or Codex running on a server?
Run it in tmux so it survives a dropped connection, and use a client that tells you when it asks. In Wardterm, Keep This Session puts it in tmux for you, and with Pro, Agents shows its state and its choices as buttons.
Is there an AI SSH client that runs locally?
Yes. Wardterm's Ask runs its model on your device with Pro. Wave, iTerm2 and Termix can also use local models through tools such as Ollama.
What is an AI terminal command generator?
A tool that turns a request in plain words into a shell command. Wardterm's Ask gives up to four commands for the server's system, each with a one-line explanation, and puts the one you choose on the line. Secure ShellFish, La Terminal and Electerm offer this kind of help too.
Is there an AI SSH agent?
Yes. Warp has built-in agents, Electerm has an agent mode, iTerm2's AI Chat can run commands with permission, and Termius lists an AI Agent in closed beta.
Can an AI assistant run commands on my server by itself?
Some can, within the permissions each app describes, as in Warp, Electerm and iTerm2. Wardterm's Ask writes commands on the line and waits for your Return, and on production servers Return asks first.
Can I answer Claude Code from my phone?
Yes. With Wardterm Pro, a session alert arrives when an AI tool waits, and a clear yes or no question can be answered from the notification. Moshi and Secure ShellFish also send agent notifications.
Does Termius have AI?
Yes. Termius lists AI autocomplete in its free Starter plan, and an AI Agent in closed beta that asks before each command.
Which AI terminal is free?
Wave, iTerm2, Electerm and Termix are free, and Warp and Termius have free plans. Wardterm's Ask answers from its checked command library on every plan; the on-device AI, Agents and session alerts are part of Pro, with a 14-day free trial.
How does Wardterm keep AI commands accurate?
Every command and option is checked against the real options of the server's system. A command with an option that does not exist there is left out, and one that matches a known example is marked Verified.
How should I use AI in a terminal on production servers?
Read every command before it runs, and pick a tool whose rules you understand. Wardterm marks risky commands, never runs a suggestion by itself, and asks before Return on servers marked production. See avoiding mistakes on production servers.
Can AI tools in the terminal use my SSH keys?
On the Mac, with Wardterm's SSH agent: turn on Use Wardterm for SSH keys, and programs sign in with keys from the vault. Each use names the program and waits for Touch ID.
Sources
Each page was read on the date shown. Prices and features change, so check the maker's page before you decide.
- Wardterm, Ask and Agents, read on
- Wardterm docs, AI agents, read on
- Wardterm docs, session alerts, read on
- Wardterm docs, Ask, read on
- Termius, pricing, read on
- Termius, AI Agent, read on
- Warp, home page, read on
- Warp, pricing, read on
- Wave Terminal, source, read on
- Wave docs, AI modes, read on
- iTerm2, AI Chat, read on
- iTerm2, news, read on
- Electerm source, read on
- Termix docs, AI plugin, read on
- Secure ShellFish on the App Store, read on
- La Terminal on the App Store (US), read on
- Moshi, home page, read on