The Best PuTTY AlternativesTop Terminal Emulators & SSH Clients like PuTTY

PuTTY is described as 'Free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console and network file transfer application. It supports several network protocols, including SCP, SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw socket connection. It can also connect to a serial port' and is a leading terminal emulator in the os & utilities category. There are more than 100 alternatives to PuTTY for a variety of platforms, including Windows, Linux, Mac, iPhone and Android apps. The best PuTTY alternative is KiTTY, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like PuTTY are OpenSSH, MobaXterm, Tabby Terminal and mRemoteNG.

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PuTTY alternatives are mainly Terminal Emulators but may also be SSH Clients or Shells. Filter by these or use the filter bar below if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of PuTTY.

PuTTY

1416

Terminal Emulator
Free • Open Source

PuTTY is a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console and network file transfer application. It supports several network protocols, including SCP, SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw socket connection. It can also...

More about PuTTY

PuTTY alternatives page was last updated Jun 22, 2023

KiTTY
KiTTY is an opensource terminal emulator, forked from PuTTY , that adds many extra features to the original software.
87 KiTTY alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Terminal Emulator
- SSH Client
Platforms
- Windows
Top KiTTY Features
1. SSH
2. Session Management
3. Portable
4. Auto-login
5. Ssh tunnel
6. Multiple Browser Tabs
7. Command line interface
8. VPS
9. Auto-saving
10. Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
11. Built-in editor
Show all NaN KiTTY features ▾
KiTTY VS PuTTY
Is KiTTY a good alternative to PuTTY?
Comments about KiTTY as an Alternative to PuTTY

Xeogin
It's a more actively developed fork.
Positive comment •Oct 21, 2019
2
Guest
It's pretty much stock Putty, but upgraded to modern standards.
Positive comment •Sep 14, 2018
1
Vlad
Fork of putty. But more recently updated and fresher.
Positive comment •Oct 6, 2016
3
pablosezparra
The same functionality than PuTTY but prettier, and seems faster for me too
Positive comment •May 15, 2018
-2
- Almost everyone thinks KiTTY is a great PuTTY alternative.
- KiTTY is the most popular Windows alternative to PuTTY.
- KiTTY is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to PuTTY.
- KiTTY is Free and Open SourcePuTTY is also Free and Open Source

OpenSSH
OpenSSH is a free version of the SSH connectivity tools that technical users rely on. OpenSSH encrypts all traffic (including passwords) to effectively eliminate eavesdropping, connection hijacking, and other attacks.
60 OpenSSH alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- SSH Client
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- iPhone
- BSD
- Cygwin
- Haiku
OpenSSH Features
1. SSH
2. Support for SFTP
3. Cross-Platform
4. Jailbreak required
5. Bundled with macOS
Show all NaN OpenSSH features ▾
OpenSSH VS PuTTY
Is OpenSSH a good alternative to PuTTY?
Comments about OpenSSH as an Alternative to PuTTY

Brioni1988
Up to date. One of the most trustworthy dev teams on the intenet.
Top positive comment •Feb 27, 2017
10
Harty1978
Totally standardized on all platforms (ok, not Windows, but catching up there).
Top positive comment •Mar 28, 2017
6
Guest
There is no gui for connection management.
Top negative comment •Oct 25, 2017
16
Guest
It is a SSL-Protocol-Implementation not a Terminal Emulator
Negative comment •Apr 15, 2022
0
JTDimino
Not a terminal emulator like PuTTY is.
Negative comment •Sep 21, 2021
1
Show more comments
5 of 9 comments
- Most users think OpenSSH is a great PuTTY alternative.
- OpenSSH is the most popular Mac, iPhone & Linux alternative to PuTTY.
- OpenSSH is Free and Open SourcePuTTY is also Free and Open Source

MobaXterm
MobaXterm is an enhanced terminal app that brings the advanced features of a Unix-like command-line to Windows. It takes the power of Cygwin and wraps it in a sleek, visual interface that's super easy to use, lightweight and portable.
103 MobaXterm alternatives
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
- Terminal Emulator
- SSH Client
Platforms
- Windows
+7
Top MobaXterm Features
1. X server
2. Support for SFTP
3. SSH
4. Tabbed interface
5. Embedded Xserver
6. Portable
7. RDP Functionality
8. Multiple Terminal
9. Support for Multiple protocols
10. Built-in File Manager
11. Windows Explorer Extension
12. Extensible by Plugins/Extensions
Show all NaN MobaXterm features ▾
MobaXterm VS PuTTY
Is MobaXterm a good alternative to PuTTY?
Comments about MobaXterm as an Alternative to PuTTY

Guest
Arguably the best remote access program out there. Great compact interface, most features I've ever seen, works amazingly fast out of the box. The 10 session limit is what makes this Freemium, so if that is not a big deal for you, this is the software for you.
Positive comment •Nov 27, 2017
0
Guest
It's never let me down and is feature rich.
Positive comment •Oct 18, 2016
0
tihedomecu
It's okay, but sessions are constantly disconnected after like a few minutes later. it also has some random cartoons all over the screen so annoying. not recommended.
Negative comment •Apr 22, 2019
-5
- Most users think MobaXterm is a great PuTTY alternative.
- MobaXterm is Freemium and ProprietaryPuTTY is Free and Open Source

Tabby Terminal
Tabby is an infinitely customizable cross-platform terminal app for local shells, serial, SSH and Telnet connections.
94 Tabby Terminal alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Terminal Emulator
- Shell
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
Top Tabby Terminal Features
1. SSH
2. Command line interface
3. Support for SFTP
4. Multiple Servers
5. Customizable
6. Portable
7. Dark Mode
8. Serial-port
9. Syntax Highlighting
10. Ad-free
11. Support for Themes
12. Works Offline
Show all NaN Tabby Terminal features ▾
Tabby Terminal VS PuTTY
Is Tabby Terminal a good alternative to PuTTY?
Comments about Tabby Terminal as an Alternative to PuTTY

takavar
I think Tabby is overall easier and more smoother to work with. Specially since you get tabs, themes etc. If you just want to ssh into this than that I don't know why you wouldn't switch to tabby.
Positive comment •Jun 22, 2023
0
- Almost everyone thinks Tabby Terminal is a great PuTTY alternative.
- Tabby Terminal is Free and Open SourcePuTTY is also Free and Open Source
- Tabby Terminal is CustomizablePuTTY is not according to our users

mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG is a fork of mRemote , an open source, tabbed, multi-protocol, remote connections manager.
75 mRemoteNG alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application type
- Remote Desktop Tool
Platforms
- Windows
Top mRemoteNG Features
1. RDP
2. SSH
3. RDP Functionality
4. Tabbed interface
5. Tree view
6. Support for Multiple protocols
7. Built-in SSH client
8. Ad-free
9. Connect via RDP
10. Secure Copy (SCP)
11. Supports SSL Certificates
12. VNC Support
Show all NaN mRemoteNG features ▾
mRemoteNG VS PuTTY
Is mRemoteNG a good alternative to PuTTY?
Comments about mRemoteNG as an Alternative to PuTTY

Guest
If multiwindow (think 10+ ssh sessions at a time) is your thing this is the best alternative by far -- as a Linux admin and typically on 25+ servers at a crack this free app managed all servers no sweat.
Positive comment •Jun 18, 2018
0
Guest
Free with premium features
Positive comment •Dec 26, 2016
0
- Almost everyone thinks mRemoteNG is a great PuTTY alternative.
- mRemoteNG is Free and Open SourcePuTTY is also Free and Open Source

Termius
Termius is more than a mere SSH client – it’s a complete command-line solution that’s redefining remote access for sysadmins and network engineers. Securely access Linux or IoT devices and quickly fix issues from the comfort of your couch via laptop or phone.
48 Termius alternatives
License model
- Freemium • Proprietary
Application types
- Terminal Emulator
- SSH Client
Platforms
- Mac
- Windows
- Linux
- Android
- iPhone
- Chrome OS
- iPad
- Flathub
+9
Top Termius Features
1. Support for SFTP
2. Mosh client
3. Keychain
4. Port Forwarding
5. Unix-like
6. SSH
7. User Session Recording
8. Cloud Sync
9. Security focused
10. FTP Server Migration
11. Server Monitoring
12. Secure Copy (SCP)
Show all NaN Termius features ▾
Termius VS PuTTY
Is Termius a good alternative to PuTTY?
Comments about Termius as an Alternative to PuTTY

Guest
Can be used on Linux, has a cleaner Interface compared to PuTTY & it's free for students.
Positive comment •Apr 2, 2021
0
- Almost everyone thinks Termius is a great PuTTY alternative.
- Termius is the most popular Android & iPad alternative to PuTTY.
- Termius is Freemium and ProprietaryPuTTY is Free and Open Source

Termux
Ready to go. Termux works directly with no rooting or setup required. At first start a minimal base system is installed automatically - you decide what to do next.
95 Termux alternatives
License model
- Free • Open Source
Application types
- Terminal Emulator
- Shell
Platforms
- Android
- Android Tablet
- F-Droid
- zsh
- Bash
Termux Features
Command line interface
Support for scripting
Integrated into iOS
MD5 signature
Show all NaN Termux features ▾
Termux VS PuTTY
Is Termux a good alternative to PuTTY?
- Termux is the most popular Android Tablet alternative to PuTTY.
- Termux is Free and Open SourcePuTTY is also Free and Open Source