PuTTY Alternative for Mac: 4 SSH Clients for macOS (2026)
PuTTY alternative for Mac: PuTTY has no Mac release, but macOS ships ssh. Compare Terminal with OpenSSH, Tabby, iTerm2 and Termius for sessions and serial.
•4 min read•Remote Access & File Transfer
Verdict:PuTTY's own FAQ says there is no Mac release, but Terminal already runs ssh. Add Tabby if you want saved sessions and a serial console, or Termius if you want a synced vault.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal with OpenSSH | Included with macOS; OpenSSH is under a BSD-style licence | macOS | Anyone comfortable typing ssh user@host, with no install | Docs only |
| Tabby | Free, MIT licence | macOS (Intel and Apple silicon builds), Windows, Linux | A PuTTY-style connection manager with SSH, Telnet and serial on a Mac | Docs only |
| iTerm2 | Free, GPL v2 | macOS 10.14 or newer | Mac users who want a better local terminal and run ssh inside it | Docs only |
| Termius | Starter free; Pro $10/month and Team $20/seat/month, both billed annually | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, iPadOS, Android | A polished SSH and SFTP client with a vault and a phone app | Docs only |
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Good fit if
- You used PuTTY on Windows and now work on a Mac
- You want saved SSH sessions in a window instead of typing commands
- You sometimes need a serial console on a Mac
Not ideal if
- You need a signed, vendor-supported client with a service-level guarantee
- You want PuTTY's exact interface and settings dialog
- You need your sessions synced across devices without any paid plan
PuTTY's own FAQ says it has no Mac release and that the core team doubts it will ever finish one, but you do not need one: macOS already runs ssh in Terminal. If you want saved sessions and a serial console in a single window, Tabby is the free PuTTY-style choice, iTerm2 is a better local terminal, and Termius adds a synced vault on a free-to-paid scale. For Windows and Linux options see all PuTTY alternatives.
What matters when you move from PuTTY
- Native on macOS. Intel and Apple silicon.
- Saved sessions. PuTTY's best habit is a list of hosts you click.
- Serial. Many people use PuTTY for console cables as well as SSH.
- Price and licence.
- Reliability. A terminal that drops sessions is worse than none.
According to PuTTY's FAQ, release versions run on Windows and Unix, the Unix version is provided as source code, and there are no release-quality ports for other systems. On a Mac version it says: "As of 2026, I doubt that the core PuTTY team will ever finish one." Earlier Cocoa and GTK-based attempts stalled.
Terminal with OpenSSH
Terminal with OpenSSH is the built-in answer, and it covers the SSH half of PuTTY with nothing to install. Apple's Remote Login guide shows the format: open Terminal and run ssh username@hostname. Terminal's own guide adds a graphical route, Shell > New Remote Connection, where you pick ssh, sftp, ftp or telnet.
OpenSSH is made available under a BSD-style licence and includes ssh, scp and sftp, plus ssh-keygen for keys. That covers file copy and key generation from the command line as well.
Apple's guide does not describe saving a list of servers. If you want a clickable host list, add a client below.
Who should not pick it: people who want a session manager or a serial console with no extra work.
Tabby
Tabby is a free terminal that looks closest to PuTTY's job. According to its GitHub page, it has an integrated SSH and Telnet client with a connection manager, an integrated serial terminal with saved connections, and tab restoration. It is MIT licensed and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Release v1.0.238, dated 7 October 2026, lists both an Apple silicon (arm64) and an Intel (x86_64) macOS dmg.
Read recent issues before trusting it with production servers. In March 2025 an issue on version 1.0.222 collected reports from many users that private-key logins failed, with several mentioning RSA keys. Some said rolling back to 1.0.221 fixed it, and the maintainer pointed to a nightly build. The issue was still open when checked. A separate macOS arm64 report described sessions closing after a while, and a Windows 11 and an Ubuntu user commented with the same symptom.
Who should not pick it: anyone who cannot tolerate a regression after an upgrade.
iTerm2
iTerm2 is a free terminal for macOS that replaces Apple's Terminal. According to its site, it is free software under GPL v2 and needs macOS 10.14 or newer. It is an improvement to the local terminal, and you still run ssh inside it.
The iTerm2 front page does not list built-in SSH session management or serial support, so treat iTerm2 as a Terminal upgrade rather than a PuTTY replacement. It pairs well with OpenSSH if you already like typing commands.
Who should not pick it: someone who wants a connection manager or serial console out of the box.
Termius
Termius is a polished SSH and SFTP client that runs on Mac and mobile. Its pricing page lists a free Starter plan with a local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI autocomplete and port forwarding. Pro is $10 a month and Team is $20 per seat a month, both when paid annually. Platforms include macOS, Windows, Linux, iPad, iPhone and Android.
The page lists Serial under its SSH and protocols features, but the layout does not make clear which plan includes it. Confirm that before you buy if a console cable matters to you.
Who should not pick it: people who want everything free and open source, since Termius is proprietary.
Comparison
| Client | Price | Saved sessions | Serial | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal + OpenSSH | Included with macOS | Not described by Apple | Not described on Apple's pages | No install |
| Tabby | Free, MIT | Yes, connection manager | Yes, integrated | Intel and arm64 builds; read recent issues |
| iTerm2 | Free, GPL v2 | Not confirmed | Not confirmed | macOS 10.14 or newer |
| Termius | Free Starter; Pro $10/month annual | Local vault | Listed, plan unclear | Phone apps |
How to choose
You only SSH into a few servers. Stay in Terminal and use ssh. Our free SSH client guide lists more options.
You miss PuTTY's session list and serial window. Install Tabby and test it against your own servers before you rely on it. See free terminal for others in the same category.
You also move files to servers. OpenSSH already includes scp and sftp, and our FileZilla alternatives for Mac page covers graphical transfer.
Limits of this review
No client was installed or run on a Mac, so speed, key handling and serial behavior are not compared. iTerm2's SSH and serial features and the plan that includes Termius's serial option are not covered. Apple silicon support is shown only by Tabby's release files. WindTerm, uniTerm and paid clients such as SecureCRT are not covered.
FAQ
Is there a PuTTY for Mac?
Not officially. PuTTY's FAQ says release versions only run on Windows and Unix, with the Unix version provided as source code and no release-quality ports for other systems. Asked about a Mac version, it says the core team is unlikely to ever finish one, after earlier Cocoa and GTK attempts stalled.
Does macOS have a built-in SSH client?
Yes. Apple's Mac User Guide shows connecting from Terminal with the command ssh username@hostname, and Terminal's Shell menu has New Remote Connection with ssh, sftp, ftp and telnet options. OpenSSH, which provides ssh, scp, sftp and ssh-keygen, is available under a BSD-style licence.
What is the best free PuTTY alternative for Mac?
For no install, use Terminal with ssh. For saved sessions in a window, Tabby is free under the MIT licence and its README lists an SSH and Telnet client with a connection manager. Termius also has a free Starter plan with a local vault, SSH, SFTP and port forwarding.
Is there a PuTTY alternative for serial on Mac?
Tabby's README lists an integrated serial terminal with saved connections, and it runs on macOS. Termius's pricing page lists Serial under its SSH and protocols features, but it is unclear which plan includes it. Check that before you pay for a plan.
Does Tabby work on Apple silicon Macs?
Tabby's v1.0.238 release, dated 7 October 2026, lists both an arm64 and an x86_64 macOS dmg. The README does not mention Apple silicon on its own. Users reported SSH problems in version 1.0.222 in March 2025, so read recent issues before relying on it for production servers.
How much does Termius cost?
Termius's pricing page lists a free Starter plan, Pro at $10 a month and Team at $20 per seat per month, with both paid prices shown when paid annually. The page lists macOS, Windows, Linux, iPad, iPhone and Android as platforms. Month-to-month rates are not listed.
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Kevin Fan
Kevin Fan is a SaaS founder. He runs Free Instead Of, which tracks free and open-source alternatives to paid software and checks each price and free-plan limit against the vendor's own pages.
Methodology
PuTTY's FAQ, Apple's Mac and Terminal user guides, the OpenSSH site, Tabby's GitHub README and release assets, the iTerm2 site and Termius's pricing page were read on 2026-10-27. Two Tabby GitHub issue threads from March 2025 were read for user pain points. Reddit threads were not used.