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The best Mosh clients in 2026

The best Mosh clients in 2026 include Wardterm, Blink Shell, Prompt 3, Termius, Moshi, La Terminal, Secure ShellFish, MobaXterm, Termux and Termix. They all talk to the standard mosh-server, so pick by device: Wardterm, Prompt 3 or La Terminal on a Mac, Blink Shell or Wardterm on iPhone and iPad, MobaXterm on Windows, Termux on Android. Wardterm has Mosh with predictive echo in its free plan.

By Wardterm team Published Updated 11 min read

Which Mosh client for your device?

Every client here talks to the same mosh-server, so the server side is the same for all. Pick by the device in your hand:

  • Mac: Wardterm, Prompt 3, Termius or La Terminal, or brew install mosh for the command line.
  • iPhone and iPad: Wardterm, Blink Shell, Prompt 3, Moshi, La Terminal or Secure ShellFish.
  • Windows: MobaXterm, Termius or Termix.
  • Android: Termux, Termius, Moshi or Termix.
  • A browser: Termix, self-hosted.

And by what you want next to Mosh: settings per server and sync (Wardterm), Eternal Terminal too (Prompt 3, Moshi), tmux tools (La Terminal, Secure ShellFish), open source code (Blink Shell, Termux, Termix).

What is a Mosh client, and when do you need one?

Mosh (mobile shell) keeps a terminal session open while your device changes network, sleeps or roams. It signs in over SSH, starts mosh-server on the remote machine, then talks to it over encrypted UDP. Local echo shows what you type at once, even on a slow link.

You feel the difference on a phone, on a train, on hotel Wi-Fi, or with a laptop you close between meetings. On a stable office network, plain SSH with keepalive is usually enough. The reference mosh program is still at 1.4.0, released on 31 October 2022, and it works with every client below. For the trade-offs, read Mosh vs SSH.

Ten of the best Mosh clients, one by one

1. Wardterm

Wardterm is an SSH client with its own Mosh client, compatible with the standard mosh-server. Servers, keys and passwords live in one encrypted vault on desktop and phone.

What it does well

  • Predictive echo you choose. Typing shows at once, underlined until the server confirms it. Per server or group: on a slow connection, always or never.
  • Mosh per server or per group. One switch turns it on for a whole group, and a custom mosh-server command covers servers where it lives elsewhere.
  • A clear status. A bar says how long the server has been silent. If mosh-server is missing, the app says how to install it.
  • Sessions that outlive the app. Keep This Session moves a session into tmux on the server, free on every plan. Keep sessions alive.
  • Alerts from your sessions. With Pro, a notification when a long command ends or an AI tool waits for an answer, Mosh sessions included. Session alerts.
Good for
People who move between Wi-Fi and cellular, laptops that sleep, and anyone who wants Mosh on desktop and phone.
Cost
The Free plan costs nothing, Mosh included. Pro is paid, with a 14-day free trial.
Platforms
Mac, iPhone and iPad. More on the Mosh client page.

Blink Shell is an open source terminal for iPhone and iPad, and the Mosh project's own site lists it. Mosh is at the heart of the app.

What it does well

  • Mosh with local echo, and sessions that survive sleep and new networks.
  • Passkeys and security keys such as YubiKey through WebAuthn.
  • Blink Code for VS Code, and support for external keyboards and displays.
Good for
iPad users with a keyboard who want Mosh in an open source app.
Cost
Paid yearly plan, after a two-week free trial.
Platforms
iPhone and iPad.

3. Prompt 3

Prompt 3 is Panic's SSH client for Apple devices. Panic says Mosh gives "mega-stable terminals even if your network connection is garbage".

What it does well

  • SSH, Mosh and Eternal Terminal in one app, with jump hosts.
  • Panic Sync for servers, keys, passwords and Clips.
  • Improved emulation for tmux and an optional GPU text engine.
Good for
Apple users who want Mosh and Eternal Terminal on every Apple device.
Cost
Paid, yearly or once, after a 7-day free trial.
Platforms
Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision.

4. Termius

Termius is an SSH client for five systems with a synced vault. Mosh is among its protocols.

What it does well

  • Mosh on desktop and mobile, with the same hosts on each.
  • SSH, SFTP, port forwarding and IDE-style autocomplete.
  • Team vaults and multiplayer sessions on its Team plan.
Good for
Mosh users who want one app on many systems, Windows and Android included.
Cost
Free plan, and paid plans.
Platforms
macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android.

5. Moshi

Moshi is a terminal for checking on AI coding agents from anywhere. It connects to your own machines over SSH, Mosh or Eternal Terminal.

What it does well

  • Sessions that, in its words, stay "alive across sleep, network switches, even app kills".
  • tmux and Zellij panels, on-device dictation, and agent approvals on the Lock Screen.
  • A free start, with no account or card.
Good for
Developers who follow Claude Code or Codex from the phone.
Cost
Free, with a paid Pro plan.
Platforms
iPhone, Android, and a desktop app.

6. La Terminal

La Terminal by Xibbon is a Mosh and SSH client for Apple devices, aimed at remote hosts and AI coding agents.

What it does well

  • Mosh, so sessions carry on through restarts of the app.
  • tmux control mode: browse, switch and rename sessions and windows.
  • Keys in the Secure Enclave, synced settings with iCloud, and SFTP in Pro.
Good for
tmux users on iPhone, iPad and an Apple silicon Mac.
Cost
Free, with a paid Pro plan.
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple silicon, Apple Vision.

7. Secure ShellFish

Secure ShellFish by Anders Borum has Mosh as an experimental feature. You turn it on under Persistence when you edit a server.

What it does well

  • Built-in tmux to keep sessions alive, with a session picker and Handoff.
  • Server files in the Files app and the Finder.
  • Agent notifications for Claude Code, Codex CLI and OpenCode.
Good for
iPhone users who already rely on tmux and want to try Mosh.
Cost
Free with ads, and paid plans.
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Vision, Apple Watch.

8. MobaXterm

MobaXterm by Mobatek is an all-in-one toolbox for Windows. Its free Home Edition lists Mosh next to SSH, Telnet and rlogin.

What it does well

  • Mosh next to SSH, an automatic SFTP browser, RDP, VNC and a full X server.
  • Portable and installer versions.
Good for
Windows users who want Mosh in a familiar toolbox.
Cost
Free Home Edition, and a paid Professional Edition.
Platforms
Windows.

9. Termux

Termux is a free, open source terminal and Linux environment for Android, with a mosh package.

What it does well

  • The real mosh and OpenSSH command line tools, with all their options.
  • Thousands of packages, installed from F-Droid or GitHub builds.
Good for
Technical Android users who like the command line.
Cost
Free.
Platforms
Android.

10. Termix

Termix is a free, open source (Apache-2.0), self-hosted server manager. Its SSH Terminal plugin has "Auto mosh", which prefers Mosh when the host has it.

What it does well

  • Auto mosh and Auto tmux, and sessions kept on the server for 30 minutes after a browser disconnects.
  • SFTP, tunnels, sharing and session recording in the same manager.
Good for
Homelabs and teams who host their own tools.
Cost
Free.
Platforms
Self-hosted web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android.

How do you set up a server for Mosh?

Every client needs the same three things on the server. Ten minutes, once.

  1. Install Mosh. 
    # Debian or Ubuntu
sudo apt install mosh
# Fedora or Rocky Linux
sudo dnf install mosh
  2. Check for a UTF-8 locale. mosh-server refuses to start without one. 
    locale -a | grep -i utf
sudo locale-gen en_US.UTF-8
  3. Open the UDP ports on the server and in your cloud provider's firewall. 
    sudo ufw allow 60000:61000/udp
    Our guide to allowing SSH through UFW covers the rest of the firewall.
  4. Test from the command line once, if you have the mosh client: 
    mosh deploy@203.0.113.10
mosh --ssh="ssh -p 2222" deploy@203.0.113.10

In Wardterm, open the server, choose Show more, then Connection, and set Mosh to On. Set it on a group and every server in it uses Mosh. The Mosh docs have the details.

Why does Mosh not start? Three messages and their fixes

  • "Did not find mosh server startup message. (Have you installed mosh on your server?)" mosh-server is missing or not on the path of a non-interactive shell, common with Homebrew on a Mac server. Install it, or point to it: mosh --server=/opt/homebrew/bin/mosh-server host.
  • "mosh-server needs a UTF-8 native locale to run." Generate the locale, as in step 2 above.
  • "mosh did not make a successful connection ... Please verify that UDP port 60001 is not firewalled". SSH worked, UDP did not. Open the ports in every firewall on the way, the cloud provider's included.

Wardterm catches the first one for you: it says when mosh-server is missing and how to install it, and each server has a mosh-server command field. More in Mosh does not start.

Should you use tmux with a Mosh SSH client?

Yes, if you care about long jobs. Mosh survives a new network and a sleeping laptop, but the session lives in the client. If the phone closes the app or the laptop restarts, it ends. tmux keeps the shell on the server, so you can come back from anywhere.

tmux new -A -s main

That line attaches to a session named main, or creates it. Many people put it in a startup command. In Wardterm, Keep This Session does it for you: one choice in the session menu moves it into tmux on the server, and the app attaches again when the network is back. When an AI tool or a long command starts in a plain session, it offers to. New to tmux? Start with our tmux guide.

Which Mosh client for Mac?

Wardterm, Prompt 3, Termius and La Terminal list Mosh on the Mac. Wardterm puts it next to SSH, SFTP, Telnet, serial and tunnels in its free plan. Prompt 3 adds Eternal Terminal, with one subscription for all Apple devices. For the command line, brew install mosh gives you the reference client. Our best SSH clients for Mac looks at them beyond Mosh.

Which Mosh client for iOS?

A phone is where Mosh helps most: it changes network often and suspends apps. Wardterm pairs Mosh with a key bar you arrange and open sessions on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. Blink Shell is a favourite on iPad with a keyboard. Moshi and La Terminal suit people who follow AI agents, and Secure ShellFish adds tmux tools. More in the best SSH apps for iPhone and iPad.

Is there a Mosh client for Windows and Android?

Yes. On Windows, MobaXterm lists Mosh in its free Home Edition, and Termius and Termix have Windows apps. On Android, Termux has the mosh package, and Termius, Moshi and Termix have apps with Mosh.

How safe is a Mosh SSH client?

Mosh signs in over SSH, so the server is identified by its host key and you use your usual key or password. After that, each UDP packet is encrypted and authenticated with AES-128 in OCB3 mode. Someone on the network sees addresses, times and sizes, not the content. Wardterm checks the host key as on any SSH connection.

How to choose among the best Mosh clients

  • Count your devices. With a laptop and a phone, pick a client on both. Wardterm Pro syncs one end-to-end encrypted vault across them.
  • Check the free plan. Wardterm Free, MobaXterm Home, Termux and Termix include Mosh at no cost.
  • Look at what sits next to Mosh. SFTP, tunnels and a server list save you a second app.
  • Need Eternal Terminal too? Prompt 3 and Moshi have it.

Looking at full clients beyond Mosh? Our Termius alternatives covers more.

Questions

Which are the best Mosh clients?

Wardterm, Blink Shell, Prompt 3, Termius, Moshi, La Terminal, Secure ShellFish, MobaXterm, Termux and Termix all list Mosh. The right one depends on your devices and on what you want next to Mosh, such as SFTP, sync or tmux tools.

Is there a Mosh client for iOS?

Yes. Wardterm, Blink Shell, Prompt 3, Termius, Moshi, La Terminal and Secure ShellFish have Mosh on iPhone and iPad.

Is there a Mosh client for Mac?

Yes. brew install mosh gives you the reference client, and Wardterm, Prompt 3, Termius and La Terminal are Mac apps with Mosh built in.

Is there a Mosh client for Windows?

Yes. MobaXterm lists Mosh in its free Home Edition, and Termius and Termix have Windows apps with Mosh.

Is there a Mosh client for Android?

Yes. Termux has a mosh package, and Termius, Moshi and Termix have Android apps with Mosh.

Is Mosh better than SSH?

For a phone or laptop that changes network, sleeps or sits on a slow link, Mosh keeps the session and shows typing at once. SSH is still used to sign in. See Mosh vs SSH.

Is Mosh secure?

Mosh signs in over SSH, then encrypts and authenticates every UDP packet with AES-128 in OCB3 mode. Someone on the network sees addresses, times and sizes, not the content.

Which ports does Mosh use?

One UDP port between 60000 and 61000 on the server for each session. Open that range in the firewall, for example with sudo ufw allow 60000:61000/udp, and in your cloud provider's firewall.

Why does Mosh say it did not find the mosh server startup message?

mosh-server is not on the server, or not on its path. Install the mosh package, or give the full path with --server=/usr/local/bin/mosh-server. Wardterm has a mosh-server command field per server for this.

Does Mosh work with tmux?

Yes, and it is the best pair. Mosh survives a new network; tmux also survives a closed app or a reboot of your laptop. In Wardterm, Keep This Session moves a session into tmux for you.

Does Mosh keep scrollback?

Mosh sends the current screen, not the whole history. Long scrollback usually comes from tmux on the server.

Is Mosh free?

Yes. The mosh program is free software. Several clients are free too, and Wardterm's Mosh client is part of the Free plan.

What is predictive echo in Mosh?

The client shows what you type before the server answers, and corrects it if the server shows something else. Wardterm underlines predicted text until the server confirms it, and you choose per server: on a slow connection, always or never.

Sources

Each page was read on the date shown. Prices and features change, so check the maker's page before you decide.

  1. Wardterm, Mosh client, read on
  2. Wardterm docs, Mosh, read on
  3. Wardterm docs, keep sessions alive, read on
  4. Mosh, home page, read on
  5. Blink Shell, home page, read on
  6. Prompt 3, product page, read on
  7. Termius, pricing, read on
  8. Moshi, home page, read on
  9. Moshi, pricing, read on
  10. La Terminal on the App Store (US), read on
  11. Secure ShellFish on the App Store, read on
  12. MobaXterm, download, read on
  13. Termux app, read on
  14. Termix docs, SSH Terminal plugin, read on

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