AgePony vs the age CLI
The same age, two surfaces.
The age command line is the reference tool: fast, scriptable, perfect at a desk. AgePony is that same format on a phone, where there is no terminal. They aren't rivals. They read and write the exact same files.
the short version
Use both. Script with the CLI on your machine, reach for AgePony when you're holding a phone. A file sealed by one opens in the other, no conversion, no export step.
At a glance.
| AgePony | age CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | iPhone (iOS 18+), Android | macOS, Linux, Windows, BSD |
| Interface | Tap-driven app | Terminal command |
| File format | Standard age | Standard age |
| Recipients | age key, SSH key, GitHub username, QR | age key, SSH key (GitHub via shell) |
| Signing | Built in (SSHSIG) | Separate tool (ssh-keygen) |
| Scripting / automation | Not its job | Excellent |
| Biometric lock | Face ID / fingerprint | N/A |
| Cost | Free | Free, open source |
Honest tradeoffs.
Where the CLI wins
- Scripting. Pipe it, loop it, drop it in a cron job or a Makefile. AgePony doesn't try to compete here.
- Bulk work. Encrypting a thousand files is a one-line shell command, not a thousand taps.
- Plugins. The CLI's plugin system reaches hardware tokens and exotic backends that mobile can't easily touch.
- It's the reference. Everything else, AgePony included, is measured against it.
Where AgePony wins
- It's on the phone. The CLI doesn't run on the device most files arrive on. AgePony does.
- GitHub usernames. Type a username and AgePony fetches the keys for you — no shelling out to curl.
- Signing in the same place. Sign and verify SSHSIG without juggling a second tool.
- Locked behind biometrics. Your keys sit behind Face ID, in the Secure Enclave if you want.
- No terminal required. Anyone can use it, not just people comfortable at a prompt.
The verdict.
- Choose the CLI if you live in a terminal and need automation, bulk operations, or plugin backends.
- Choose AgePony if the file is on your phone, or the person using it would rather tap than type.
- Use both if you have a computer and a phone — which is most people. Same key, same files, two doors into them.
Try AgePony
Free. No accounts. No tracking. Bit-for-bit compatible with the age command line.