Xshell Alternatives for Windows

There are many alternatives to Xshell for Windows if you are looking for a replacement. The best Windows alternative is PuTTY, which is both free and Open Source. If that doesn't suit you, our users have ranked more than 25 alternatives to Xshell and many of them are available for Windows so hopefully you can find a suitable replacement. Other interesting Windows alternatives to Xshell are OpenSSH, mRemoteNG, Windows Terminal and MobaXterm.

Xshell alternatives are mainly Terminal Emulators but may also be SSH Clients or Remote Desktop Tools. Filter by these if you want a narrower list of alternatives or looking for a specific functionality of Xshell.

Xshell

Free Personal • Proprietary
Terminal Emulator

Xshell is a powerful SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, TELNET, RLOGIN and SERIAL terminal emulator for Windows platforms. It allows users...

More about Xshell

Xshell alternatives page was last updated

PuTTY
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Terminal Emulator
SSH Client
Windows
Linux
BSD
PortableApps.com
ReactOS
108 PuTTY alternatives
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.
- - PuTTY is the most popular Windows & Linux alternative to Xshell.
- - PuTTY is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to Xshell.
Suggest and vote on features
PuTTY Features
1. LightweightPuTTY consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
SSH
Built-in SSH client
Telnet client
Host management
Graphical User Interface
Serial terminal
Support for SFTP
Logging
Session Management
Xterm emulation
Comments about PuTTY as a Alternative to Xshell
This alternative is disputed. PuTTY is still a legitimate Xshell alternative, but it might have issues that some users think are important.
Guest
No post-login script per profile/session
Negative comment •
2
OpenSSH
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
SSH Client
Mac
Windows
Linux
iPhone
BSD
Cygwin
Haiku
58 OpenSSH alternatives
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.
- - OpenSSH is the most popular Mac & iPhone alternative to Xshell.
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OpenSSH Features
SSH
Support for SFTP
Cross-Platform
Jailbreak required
Bundled with macOS
Add a screenshot

Opinions about OpenSSH as a Alternative to Xshell
Most users think OpenSSH is a great Xshell alternative.
mRemoteNG
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Remote Desktop Tool
Windows
75 mRemoteNG alternatives
mRemoteNG is a fork of mRemote , an open source, tabbed, multi-protocol, remote connections manager.
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mRemoteNG Features
RDP
SSH
RDP Functionality
Tabbed interface
Tree view
Support for Multiple protocols
Built-in SSH client
Connect via RDP
Secure Copy (SCP)
Supports SSL certificate
Windows Terminal
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Terminal Emulator
Windows
91 Windows Terminal alternatives
Windows Terminal is a new, modern, feature-rich, productive terminal application for command-line users. It includes many of the features most frequently requested by the Windows command-line community including support for tabs, rich text, globalization, configurability...
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Windows Terminal Features
1. Command line interfaceWindows Terminal either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
2. Support for scriptingWindows Terminal supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
3. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of Windows Terminal.
4. Dark ModeWindows Terminal supports dark mode for comfortable usage in low light conditions.
Tabbed interface
Multiple shells
WSL integreation
Background transparency
Configured in JSON
Customizable
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Multiple window layouts
Emoji Text support
Multi-tabs
MobaXterm
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Terminal Emulator
SSH Client
Windows
100 MobaXterm alternatives
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.
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MobaXterm Features
1. PortableMobaXterm can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsMobaXterm can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
3. Windows Explorer ExtensionMobaXterm can extend Windows Explorer in various ways, for example add context menu options, etc..
Support for SFTP
SSH
X server
Tabbed interface
Embedded Xserver
RDP Functionality
Multiple Terminal
Support for Multiple protocols
Built-in SSH client
Built-in File Manager
Opinions about MobaXterm as a Alternative to Xshell
Most users think MobaXterm is a great Xshell alternative.
KiTTY
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Terminal Emulator
SSH Client
Windows
85 KiTTY alternatives
KiTTY is an opensource terminal emulator, forked from PuTTY , that adds many extra features to the original software.
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KiTTY Features
1. PortableKiTTY can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. Command line interfaceKiTTY either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
SSH
Session Management
Auto-login
Ssh tunnel
Multiple Browser Tabs
VPS
Auto-saving
Support for Keyboard Shortcuts
Built-in editor
Alacritty
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Open Source
Terminal Emulator
Mac
Windows
Linux
BSD
72 Alacritty alternatives
Alacritty is a blazing fast, GPU accelerated terminal emulator. It’s written in Rust and uses OpenGL for rendering to be the fastest terminal emulator available. Alacritty is available on GitHub in source form.
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Alacritty Features
1. LightweightAlacritty consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
2. Command line interfaceAlacritty either have CLI support or is a CLI-only app.
3. Support for scriptingAlacritty supports scripts and macros to automate or customize tasks.
4. Extensible by Plugins/ExtensionsAlacritty can be extended with add-ons, plugins and extensions.
5. PortableAlacritty can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
6. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of Alacritty.
GPU Support
Optimal performance
No input delay
Remote Desktop Manager
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Remote Desktop Tool
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
54 Remote Desktop Manager alternatives
Remote Desktop Manager lets you centralize all your remote connections, passwords and credentials into a unique platform that can be securely shared between users. Drive security, speed and productivity through your organization while reducing risks for your IT department.
- - Remote Desktop Manager is the most popular iPad alternative to Xshell.
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Remote Desktop Manager Features
Tabbed interface
Automatic Connection
Role-based security access
VNC Support
SSH
RDP
Centralized credentials
Active Directory integration
WindTerm
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Terminal Emulator
Shell
SSH Client
Mac
Windows
Linux
44 WindTerm alternatives
A professional SSH/Telnet/Serial/Shell/Sftp client for DevOps.
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WindTerm Features
1. PortableWindTerm can be used from a USB stick or similar with no prior installation.
2. Syntax HighlightingWindTerm supports syntax highlighting for various programming and markup languages.
3. Support for ThemesYou can use themes and templates to change the look and feel of WindTerm.
4. LightweightWindTerm consumes less device resources compared to similar apps.
Support for SFTP
SSH
X server
Command palette
Cross-Platform
Outliner
Termius
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Terminal Emulator
SSH Client
Mac
Windows
Linux
Android
iPhone
Chrome OS
iPad
44 Termius alternatives
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.
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Termius Features
1. User Session RecordingTermius can record user sessions to gain a real understanding of how users interact with a website.
2. Cloud SyncSync your data (notes, documents, bookmarks, etc.) across your different devices and to the cloud.
Support for SFTP
Mosh client
Keychain
Port Forwarding
Unix-like
SSH
Security focused
FTP Server Migration
Server Monitoring
Secure Copy (SCP)
Chrome Secure Shell
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Free • Proprietary
Terminal Emulator
SSH Client
Mac
Windows
Linux
Chrome OS
Google Chrome
62 Chrome Secure Shell alternatives
Secure Shell is an xterm-compatible terminal emulator and stand-alone ssh client for Chrome. It uses Native-Client to connect directly to ssh servers without the need for external proxies.
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Chrome Secure Shell Features
Integrates with Putty configuration
SSH
Secure Copy (SCP)
Royal TSX
Is this is a good alternative?
Yes
No
Freemium • Proprietary
Remote Desktop Tool
Mac
Windows
Android
iPhone
Android Tablet
iPad
122 Royal TSX alternatives
Royal TS provides easy and secure access to your remote systems

Unlock the power to remotely manage your systems on multiple platforms!

Royal TS is the perfect tool for server admins, system engineers, developers and IT focused information workers who constantly need to access.
Suggest and vote on features
Royal TSX Features
1. Multiple Account supportRoyal TSX support multiple accounts without the need to logout and login
SSH
RDP
Tabbed interface
Clientless Remote Connection
Explorer-like