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PuTTY Alternatives 2026: 5 Free Options
PuTTY alternatives: Tabby, Windows Terminal, WinSCP, termscp and 1 more. Prices and licenses checked October 23, 2026.
•3 min read•Remote Access & File Transfer
Verdict:Stay with PuTTY if you want a free, MIT-licensed SSH client with almost nothing to install. Leave it when you want tabs, saved sessions, a modern look or file transfer in the same window. Tabby is the closest match: MIT, free, on Windows, macOS and Linux, with SSH, Telnet and serial in one customizable app. Windows Terminal gives you tabs and the OpenSSH client that ships with Windows, so you connect with the ssh command, though it does not keep saved session profiles the way PuTTY does. WinSCP is the choice when most of your work is copying files to Linux servers over SFTP and you want a terminal on the side. If you edit code on a remote machine, VS Code with its Remote - SSH extension moves the editor onto the server, which is heavier than PuTTY but ends the switching between terminal and editor. termscp is a free terminal file client for people who work in a shell. Pick the replacement by the job: a terminal, a file copier or an editor, since none of these covers all three equally well. Test your saved keys and jump-host setup before you uninstall PuTTY.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Price | Platforms | Best for | Tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabby | Free (Free (MIT-licensed, no paid tier)) | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows users who want tabs and a customizable SSH client | Docs only |
| Windows Terminal | Free (Free (MIT-licensed, no paid tier)) | Windows | Windows developers who already work in the command line | Docs only |
| WinSCP | Free (Free) | Windows | Windows users who copy files to Linux servers | Docs only |
| termscp | Free (Free open source software) | Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD | Terminal users who want file transfer in a text interface | Docs only |
| Visual Studio Code | Free (for private or commercial use per Microsoft's FAQ) | Windows, macOS, Linux, Web | Developers who edit code on a remote server | Docs only |
| MobaXterm | Free (Home edition is free: max 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels, 4 macros); paid from $69 per user, one-time (Professional; EUR 49 also listed) | Windows | SSH client | Docs only |
| Termius | Free (Free (Starter): local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding, listed as available for commercial usage); paid from $10 per month, billed annually (Pro); Team is $20 per seat per month billed annually | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, iPadOS | Developer Tools | Docs only |
Independent comparison. Paid placements are labelled separately; editorial links earn no affiliate commissions. Learn more.
See the tools in action
Explore the interface and watch a workflow before choosing.
Good fit if
- You want tabs and a modern terminal on Windows (Tabby is the pick)
- You want Windows Terminal with the built-in OpenSSH client (Windows Terminal is the pick)
- You need SFTP file copying next to SSH (WinSCP is the pick)
- You edit code on a remote Linux machine (Visual Studio Code is the pick)
Not ideal if
- You rely on PuTTY features or integrations that these tools do not replicate
PuTTY today: Free (Free (MIT-licensed, no paid tier)) (PuTTY pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Why people look for PuTTY alternatives
PuTTY's FAQ says PSCP is a command-line application, not a GUI, and that port forwarding is not available in the file transfer applications. It has no settings file at present, the developers offer no mobile version, and the Unix version is provided as source with no release-quality ports for other systems. Anyone who wants graphical file transfer, saved settings in a file or a client on another platform has to look elsewhere.
Tabby
Compared with PuTTY: Tabby is MIT-licensed, free, and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. It handles SSH, Telnet and serial connections in one customizable app, where PuTTY is a small single-purpose terminal with a far smaller install.
Price: Free (Free (MIT-licensed, no paid tier)) (Tabby pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux. MIT (open source).
Project activity: 75.2k GitHub stars · latest release v1.0.238 (Oct 7, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026
Best for: Windows users who want tabs and a customizable SSH client.
Windows Terminal
Compared with PuTTY: Windows Terminal is MIT-licensed and free, and it runs the OpenSSH client that Windows includes, so you connect with the ssh command in tabs. It does not store saved SSH session profiles the way PuTTY does.
Price: Free (Free (MIT-licensed, no paid tier)) (Windows Terminal pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Platforms and license: Windows. MIT (open source).
Project activity: 105.3k GitHub stars · latest release v1.25.2733.0 (Oct 2, 2026) · last commit Oct 27, 2026
Best for: Windows developers who already work in the command line.
WinSCP
Compared with PuTTY: WinSCP is free and built around SFTP file transfer, so it covers the file side of PuTTY work with a terminal available alongside. Unlike PuTTY it is aimed at moving files between machines, not at being a pure SSH terminal.
Price: Free (Free) (WinSCP pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows. GPL-3.0 (open source).
Project activity: 3.9k GitHub stars · last commit Oct 26, 2026
Best for: Windows users who copy files to Linux servers.
Worth knowing: Supports FTP, FTPS, SCP, SFTP, WebDAV and S3 with scripting and an integrated text editor. Windows only.
termscp
Compared with PuTTY: termscp is free and open source, a terminal file transfer client rather than a terminal emulator. It complements PuTTY for file work instead of replacing its terminal, and it suits people who already live in a shell.
Price: Free (Free open source software) (termscp pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, BSD. MIT (open source).
Project activity: 3.1k GitHub stars · latest release v1.2.1 (Oct 19, 2026) · last commit Oct 19, 2026
Best for: Terminal users who want file transfer in a text interface.
Worth knowing: Terminal UI client for SCP, SFTP, FTP/S, S3, Kube, SMB and WebDAV.
Visual Studio Code
Compared with PuTTY: Visual Studio Code is free for private and commercial use, and its Remote - SSH extension opens remote folders and terminals. It is a full editor and heavier than PuTTY, but it removes the back-and-forth between a terminal and a text editor on the server.
Price: Free (for private or commercial use per Microsoft's FAQ) (Visual Studio Code pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Platforms and license: Windows, macOS, Linux, Web. Microsoft product license (source in the MIT-licensed Code - OSS repository).
Best for: Developers who edit code on a remote server.
Worth knowing: The downloadable product is under a Microsoft license; the MIT license covers the separate Code - OSS repository.
Other popular options (paid)
MobaXterm
Compared with PuTTY: Home edition is free but capped at 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels and 4 macros; Professional is a one-time $69 per user (EUR 49 also listed). PuTTY has no such caps under its free licence.
Price: Free (Home edition is free: max 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels, 4 macros); paid from $69 per user, one-time (Professional; EUR 49 also listed) (MobaXterm pricing, checked 2026-10-23).
Termius
Compared with PuTTY: Free Starter plan covers a local vault, SSH and SFTP with port forwarding and is listed for commercial use. Paid plans are $10 (Pro) or $20 per seat (Team) per month billed annually, where PuTTY is free.
Price: Free (Free (Starter): local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding, listed as available for commercial usage); paid from $10 per month, billed annually (Pro); Team is $20 per seat per month billed annually (Termius pricing, checked 2026-10-22).
Which one to pick
- You want tabs and a modern terminal on Windows: Tabby
- You want Windows Terminal with the built-in OpenSSH client: Windows Terminal
- You need SFTP file copying next to SSH: WinSCP
- You edit code on a remote Linux machine: Visual Studio Code
Limits of this review
Docs-only for Tabby, Windows Terminal, WinSCP, termscp, Visual Studio Code: we did not install or run them, so feature claims come from vendor pages and we did not test import from PuTTY. Vendor prices and free limits change; confirm on the linked pricing page before you buy or migrate.
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All Remote Access & File Transfer alternatives →Sources
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
Based on official pricing and product pages checked between 2026-10-22 and 2026-10-23: PuTTY, Tabby, Windows Terminal, WinSCP, termscp, Visual Studio Code, MobaXterm, Termius. Prices, free limits and licenses are the figures shown on those pages on those dates. No tool on this page was installed or run. No accounts were created.