Comparison
You already have a Mac running Claude Code. Why rent a server to do the same thing? Claudaway connects your iPhone to your Mac. No VPS, no SSH, no tmux.
Side by Side
One takes 60 seconds. The other takes an hour and a credit card.
| Feature | Claudaway | VPS + SSH |
|---|---|---|
| Setup time | 60 seconds | 60+ minutes |
| Monthly cost | $3.99/mo (3-day free trial) | $20+/mo (VPS + bandwidth) |
| Security | 256-bit AES-GCM E2E encryption | SSH hardening, fail2ban, key rotation |
| Maintenance | Zero. It just works. | OS updates, tmux config, firewall rules |
| Mobile experience | Native iOS app with voice input | Raw terminal via Termius/Blink |
| Accept/Reject changes | One-tap buttons | Type y/n in tiny terminal |
| File browsing | Built-in file explorer | ls and cat |
| Multi-session | Tap to switch agents | tmux pane juggling |
| Voice input | Native dictation | Not available |
| Uses your Mac's power | Yes — runs on your hardware | No — limited to VPS specs |
Reality Check
That YouTube tutorial made it look easy. Here's what happens after the video ends.
Generate keys, copy them to the server, set permissions, configure your SSH client on every device. Mess up and you're locked out.
Claude Code needs to stay alive when you disconnect. So you learn tmux. Attach, detach, name sessions, configure scroll-back. It's a rabbit hole.
Ubuntu updates, Node.js version management, disk space monitoring. Your VPS is another computer to babysit.
fail2ban, ufw rules, SSH port changes. Miss a step and your server's exposed. You're not a sysadmin — you just wanted to code from your couch.
cloudflared, Tailscale, or WireGuard to make it accessible. Each one has its own setup, config files, and debugging headaches.
After all that work, you get a tiny terminal window on your phone. No accept/reject buttons. No voice input. No file browser. Just raw text.
Do the math
You're paying $200/month for Claude Max. That's serious investment. Make it work for you everywhere.
$200/mo Claude Max
+ $3.99/mo Claudaway Pro
= Code from anywhere
60 seconds to set up. Zero maintenance. Native app with voice input and one-tap controls.
$200/mo Claude Max
+ $20/mo VPS
+ 1 hour setup time
+ tmux + SSH keys + fail2ban
= Headache
FAQ
If it works for you, great. But if you're tired of maintaining it, or you want a proper mobile experience with voice input and native UI — Claudaway gives you that without the overhead. You can start with a 3-day free trial.
Yes. Claudaway connects your iPhone directly to Claude Code on your Mac. Your Mac needs to be on and running the Claudaway Mac app. That's the point — your Mac is the server. No rental needed.
Claudaway's desktop companion keeps your Mac awake while a session is active. It also handles automatic reconnection if the tunnel drops momentarily.
More powerful. Your Mac likely has better specs than a $20 VPS. And you get the full Claude Code experience with a native mobile UI on top — voice input, file browsing, accept/reject buttons, multi-session support.
256-bit AES-GCM end-to-end encryption. The encryption key is exchanged via QR code and never leaves your devices. Your code, prompts, and responses never touch our servers in readable form.
One command on your Mac. One QR code on your phone. Claude Code, everywhere.