Alternatives · Remote Desktop
PuTTY alternatives
As of Nov 13, 2026, the highest-graded PuTTY alternative is Tabby (3.2 GPA). It's also the best free one.
PuTTY compared with 5 alternatives: MobaXterm, SecureCRT, Xshell, Termius and Tabby.
PuTTY is free to use. 4 of the 5 alternatives are free or have a free plan. One more offers a free trial.
Listings checked up to Nov 13, 2026 · Where the facts come from
At a glance
| Tool | Price | Free plan | Runs on |
|---|---|---|---|
| PuTTYThis tool | Free | Free | Windows, Linux |
| MobaXterm | Free plan · from $69 one-time | Yes | Windows |
| SecureCRT | Free trial · from $119/yr | Trial only | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS |
| Xshell | Free plan · from $119/yr | Yes | Windows |
| Termius | Free plan · from $10/mo | Yes | macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Tabby | Free | Free | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux |
Price against what you get
PuTTY has no paid plan and scores 2.3 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. None of the 4 alternatives on this chart both scores higher and starts lower.
SecureCRT, Termius and Tabby score higher without starting lower.
Features, ease of use and platforms, averaged
What paid plans start at, a month (each step along is roughly double) →
- The best score at each price
- Has a free plan
- No free plan
How each one differs from PuTTY
MobaXterm
Tabbed SSH client and X server for Windows in one portable app
- MobaXterm starts at $69 per user, one-time, with 12 months of updates.
- MobaXterm lists no Linux app, which PuTTY has.
Suits: Windows users who need SSH, X11 forwarding and RDP in one tool
SecureCRT
SSH, Telnet and serial terminal for Windows, macOS and Linux
- SecureCRT starts at $119 per user, with 1 year of updates.
- SecureCRT has no free plan, only a free trial, unlike PuTTY.
- SecureCRT also lists macOS and iOS apps.
- SecureCRT can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- SecureCRT also covers workflow automation.
Suits: Network and systems admins who script repetitive terminal tasks
Xshell
SSH terminal for Windows with session, tab and file managers
- Xshell starts at $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance.
- Xshell lists no Linux app, which PuTTY has.
- Xshell can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Xshell also covers workflow automation.
- Xshell does not cover file sharing, which PuTTY does.
Suits: Windows users who want SSH, SFTP and RDP tabs in one app
Termius
SSH and SFTP client for desktop and mobile with a synced vault
- Termius starts at $10 per month, billed annually.
- Termius also lists macOS, iOS and Android apps.
- Termius does not cover file sharing and remote desktop, which PuTTY does.
Suits: Engineers who want one SSH client on a laptop and a phone
Tabby
Configurable terminal with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients
- Tabby is free.
- Tabby also lists a web app and a macOS app.
- Tabby is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Tabby does not cover remote desktop, which PuTTY does.
Suits: People who want one free terminal for local shells, SSH and serial ports
Limits worth knowing in PuTTY
- Unix users get a source archive to build themselves; the download page lists no Unix binaries.
- The vendor warns that using the SSH tools is illegal in countries where encryption is outlawed.
- The official site is the chiark.greenend.org.uk page; putty.org is an unaffiliated page that says it is not endorsed by the project.
Common questions
What are the alternatives to PuTTY?
The alternatives to PuTTY in this directory are MobaXterm, SecureCRT, Xshell, Termius and Tabby. Each one has a side-by-side comparison with PuTTY.
Is there a free alternative to PuTTY?
Yes. Tabby is free to use. MobaXterm, Xshell and Termius have a free plan alongside paid ones.
Which PuTTY alternatives work on macOS?
The PuTTY listing does not include a macOS app. SecureCRT, Termius and Tabby list one.
Which PuTTY alternatives work on Android?
The PuTTY listing does not include an Android app. Termius lists one.
Is there an open-source alternative to PuTTY?
Tabby is described as open source on its own site.
When were these prices checked?
Every listing on this page was checked on Nov 13, 2026, against the pages it cites. Vendors change prices without notice, so confirm on their site before you buy.