Shells review (2026): is it worth $14.95 a month?
A personal cloud computer you open from any device
Black Friday: is there a Shells sale?
Shells report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for a cloud desktop you reach from any device
Shells gives you a Linux or Windows desktop in the cloud that you open from a browser or phone. The cheapest plan is $14.95 a month with 2 GB of memory and one processor, and there is no free plan or trial.
Who Shells is for
- Fits if you want a spare Windows or Linux desktop you can open from a phone or browser
- Works for light daily use like documents and browsing
Who Shells is not for
- Skip it if you want to try before paying, as no free plan or trial is listed
- Too light for heavy applications on Basic, with 2 GB of memory and 1 processor
- Watch out: the home page says plans start at $5 a month, but the pricing page lists $14.95 as the lowest
- Pricey if you pay monthly, since Plus is $22.95 and Pro is $39.95
Why Shells gets a 2.0
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- CValue for money$14.95 a month for Basic, within the category's range but above its $8.33 middle, and the entry plan is 2 GB and one processor.
- FFree plan and trialNo free plan or free trial is listed on the pricing page.
- CFeaturesA desktop on any device, Linux and Windows options, automatic backup, plan upgrades and team infrastructure. The entry plan is light for heavy applications.
- BEase of useNo store rating on record. You sign up and open the desktop in a browser with nothing to install.
- BPlatforms and integrationsWeb, iPhone and Android are listed, so phones and a browser but no desktop app. No integrations are listed.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Shells's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/shells#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/shells.svg" alt="Shells: 2.0 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Shells stands among remote desktop apps
Shells's GPA of 2.0 is higher than 13 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 7.
It stands best on ease of use (B, above 59 of 85) and worst on free plan and trial (F, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $14.95 a month, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 32 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4. 5 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Shells’s own letter is outlined.
- CValue for moneyAbove 7 of 85, level with 46
- FFree plan and trialAbove 0 of 85, level with 14
- CFeaturesAbove 1 of 85, level with 53
- BEase of useAbove 59 of 85, level with 25
- BPlatforms and integrationsAbove 28 of 85, level with 50
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
Keep Shells, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Shells you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
That makes this kind of software worth paying for, not this one in particular: 65 of the 85 other remote desktop apps grade higher. It costs $179.40 a year.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Files kept in step across devices without losing one.
- A real app for iOS and Android. Something home-made would be a web page.
What this rests on. Shells’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Shells?
Shells rents out a virtual desktop that runs in the cloud and can be opened from a browser, a phone, a tablet or a TV. Plans are sized by processors, memory and storage, with Linux desktops and Windows listed on its site. It is aimed at students, developers and small teams who want a computer that is not tied to one device.
Worth knowing
- No free plan or free trial is listed on the pricing page.
- The entry plan has 2 GB of memory and 1 processor, which is light for heavy applications.
- Yearly prices were not readable in the page text; only the percentage saving is shown.
- The homepage says plans start at $5 a month, but the pricing page lists $14.95 as the lowest plan.
Key features
- Desktop on any device
- The site lists Android TV, iOS, Android, Chrome, Firefox, Safari, PlayStation, Xbox, Oculus and Tesla browsers as ways to open a Shells desktop.
- Linux and Windows desktops
- Solution pages cover a Linux cloud desktop, a browser in the cloud, cloud virtual machines and a cloud IDE.
- Automatic backup
- The vendor says each Shell is backed up automatically in the cloud and that its firewalls and end-to-end encryption keep data private.
- Plan upgrades
- Moving to more processors, memory or storage is described as a one-click change, and a build-your-own option sits below the three plans.
- Team infrastructure
- A business section describes remote infrastructure deployment and a bring-your-own-device workforce setup for small teams.
Shells pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Shells is a paid product, starting at $14.95 per month, billed monthly.
- Starts at
- $14.95 per month, billed monthly
- Free plan
- None
- Free trial
- None listed
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Shells Basic | $14.95per month, billed monthly | 1 processor, 2 GB memory and 40 GB storage with unlimited use. The page shows a 25% saving on yearly billing. |
| Shells Plus | $22.95per month, billed monthly | 2 processors, 4 GB memory and 80 GB storage with unlimited use. The page shows a 23% saving on yearly billing. |
| Shells Pro | $39.95per month, billed monthly | 4 processors, 8 GB memory and 160 GB storage with unlimited use. The page shows a 33% saving on yearly billing. |
Read from shells.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Shells before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- Annual discountYearly billing saves 23% to 33%
The pricing page shows Save 25% on Basic, 23% on Plus and 33% on Pro when billed yearly. The yearly prices themselves were not read.
Stated on shells.com
Shells alternatives
- Shells vs Paperspace
From $22/mo
- Shells vs Vagon
Free trial · from $7.99/mo
- Shells vs Shadow PC
From $29.99/mo
- Shells vs Cameyo
Paid
Common questions
Does Shells have a Windows app?
No Windows app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Shells is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Does Shells have a macOS app?
No macOS app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Shells is listed for Web, iOS and Android.
Is Shells open source?
Shells is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.