PuTTY icon
PuTTY icon

PuTTY

Free and open-source terminal emulator for connecting to remote systems via SSH, Telnet, and SCP. Portable with no installation required, providing lightweight functionality. Ideal for secure connections with features like command line support and customizable settings. Works offline effortlessly.

PuTTY screenshot 1

Cost / License

  • Free
  • Open Source (MIT)

Application type

Platforms

  • Windows  Both as a separate download and in the Microsoft Store.
  • Linux
  • BSD
  • PortableApps.com
  • ReactOS
  • Flathub
Tunnels interface
PuTTY screenshot 2
PuTTY alternatives  
1463likes
146alternatives
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Features

Properties

  1.  Lightweight
  2.  Configurable

Features

  1.  SSH
  2.  Built-in SSH client
  3.  Telnet client
  4.  Host management
  5.  Graphical User Interface
  6.  Serial terminal
  7.  No registration required
  8.  Support for SFTP
  9.  Works Offline
  10.  Command line interface
  11.  Session Management
  12.  Portable
  13.  Logging
  14.  Ad-free
  15.  Tabbed interface
  16.  Secure Copy (SCP)
  17.  Xterm emulation
  18.  Download Accelerator

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Comments and Reviews

   
Comment summary: PuTTY is praised for its reliability, especially for SSH and terminal emulation. However, criticisms include lack of tab functionality, outdated key conversion requirements, and a cumbersome user interface. Users highlight its stability but note the preference for alternatives like Asbru or PAC Manager due to better UX. PuTTY's unavailability for macOS and Linux without workarounds is another drawback. Some appreciate its long-standing effectiveness despite dated elements.
Top Positive Comment
b4st1en
2

I think this is the tool I've been using for the longest time, several decades (yes from 2 you can say several). Thanks so much for your very good job!

Top Negative Comment
dandv
13

PuTTY doesn't have tabs. This is super annoying. (Asbru, PAC Manager, SecureCRT, Zoc do)

It can't use standard OpenSSH keys. You must convert them to its own PPK key format. All other SSH clients use standard keys.

To just connect to a host, the information is spread across THREE option pages:

  1. Session - hostname and port
  2. Connection - Data - autologin username
  3. Connection - SSH - Auth - Private key file.

This is just stupid UX. Sorry. In Asbru, ZOC or PAC Manager, you have all the login information on one page.

Roberto
1
Helpdesk Engineer at AT&T

I've been using this tool on a daily basis for years. It's very reliable. It can be used for SSH and also regular terminal emulation. The latter is especially useful to work with serial ports.

Nuncio Bitis
1

Contrary to the description, Putty is for Windows only. It doesn't have an installer for Linux or Mac.

Guest
-2

i download this program couple hours ago but i dont understand how to get password when im try get in program keep sayin acces denied does anybody know pls help

Tom Margrave
1

This help me in so many ways to list.

Guest
-3

I don´t like it, yet. I would like to test it

Review from a new or low-activity account — shown here, but not counted in the app rating.
7 of 15 comments

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Official Links

AppStores & Other Links

Download from Microsoft Store

What is PuTTY?

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 connect to a serial port.

A simple, lightweight client for connecting to a Linux shell from your Windows machine!

Puttys official website has always been: https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ But now there's an official landing page with a shorter url: https://putty.software/

PuTTY information

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Our users have written 15 comments and reviews about PuTTY, and it has gotten 1463 likes

PuTTY was added to AlternativeTo by Brian on and this page was last updated .