# Shells: how AI models rank it, November 2026

Gane Index, November 2026 Edition. Named in 8 judge labels across 1 category by 7 of 14 models. Page: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/vendors/shells

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Virtual desktops](https://www.gane.ai/index/it/operations/virtual-desktops/index.md) | 2% | 18 | 38% | 8 |

## What the models said for it

- "If your budget is very tight: Start with Shells or Kamatera for basic needs." (Kimi K2, Virtual desktops)
- "very affordable with a pretty decent set of features" (Claude Haiku 4.5, Virtual desktops)

## And against it

- "This platform is also mentioned as one to avoid or be cautious about" (Mistral Small, Virtual desktops)
- "ultra-cheap but often lack enterprise features, support, or scalability for a full company" (Grok 4.20, Virtual desktops)
- "Low-cost managed cloud PCs, but generally less business-focused than V2 Cloud" (Perplexity Sonar, Virtual desktops)

## By model

| Model | First choice | Alternative | Mention | Warning | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GPT-5.4 mini | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gemini 3.5 Flash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Perplexity Sonar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Grok 4.20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mistral Small | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| DeepSeek V4 Flash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Llama 4 Maverick | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Qwen 3.7 Flash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kimi K2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GLM 4.7 FlashX | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| MiniMax M2.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| GPT-6 Luna | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muse Glimmer 30B | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |

## Sources returned with these answers

The sites and pages cited by the answers that named Shells, from 13 of the 13 answers that named it (only the models that return a source list).

### Domains cited

- geekflare.com: 9
- softwaretestinghelp.com: 8
- v2cloud.com: 7
- apporto.com: 5
- ironorbit.com: 5
- learn.g2.com: 4
- techradar.com: 4
- guideflow.com: 3
- vagon.io: 3
- vdeskworks.com: 3

### Pages cited

- https://geekflare.com/guides/best-virtual-desktop-solutions: 9
- https://softwaretestinghelp.com/virtual-desktop-solutions: 8
- https://v2cloud.com/blog/best-cloud-desktops-for-remote-teams-2026: 5
- https://learn.g2.com/best-virtual-desktop-infrastructure-software: 4
- https://techradar.com/best/virtual-desktop-services: 4
- https://apporto.com/best-vdi-solution-for-small-business: 3
- https://softwaretestinghelp.com/best-vdi-software: 3
- https://apporto.com/best-desktop-as-a-service-providers: 2

## Record

- Method: https://www.gane.ai/index/it/methodology
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as Gane Index, November 2026 Edition, www.gane.ai/index/it.