Shellmate began with a frustration I faced almost every day. Connecting to the server via SSH was easy – everything around that wasn’t easy.
Credentials were in password managers, notes were scattered across documents, access details lived in chat messages, and adding teammates was often a manual process. Sometimes finding the right server takes more time than connecting to it.
So I created ShellMate, a desktop SSH workspace for developers, sysadmins, and DevOps teams. It brings hosts, credentials, terminal sessions, permissions, team collaboration, and access management into one place.
A quick note on security: I previously described Credential Vault as “zero-knowledge”. That was not accurate. ShellMate currently uses server-managed encryption and short-term, session-bound access grants. The server remains part of the trust boundary, so it is not yet a true zero-knowledge or end-to-end encrypted system.
What Shellmet offers today:
🔐 Encrypted credential storage with session-bound access
✓ Faster desktop SSH experience
🛡️ Permission-aware host access and short-term grants
👥 Team Workspaces, Host Groups and RBAC
🖥️ Organized hosting and infrastructure management
📋 Activity log and security events
🔑 SSH certificate support for named hosts
I am actively working towards a stronger end-to-end encrypted architecture while keeping the experience simple and fast.
I would love your feedback:
👉 What’s the biggest problem with your current SSH workflow?
👉 What security controls would you expect from a tool like this?
👉 What will compel you to switch from your current solution?
Thanks for checking out Shellmate and supporting indie creators!
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