MobaXterm vs PuTTY (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, PuTTY grades higher than MobaXterm: 3.0 against 2.8 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
MobaXterm grades higher on features. PuTTY grades higher on the free plan and platforms. They get the same grade on value for money and ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
MobaXterm
Tabbed SSH client and X server for Windows in one portable app
Free plan · from $69 one-time
PuTTY
Free SSH and Telnet client for Windows with file-copy utilities
Free
Which one is for you
Pick MobaXterm if
- Fits if you are on Windows and need SSH, X11 forwarding and RDP together
- Works for admins who want a portable app with no install
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, as it is Windows only
- Tight if you pass 12 sessions, 2 tunnels or 4 macros on Home
- Watch out: Professional includes 12 months of updates and the page gives no price after
- Watch out: for use inside a company the vendor points you to Professional
Pick PuTTY if
- Fits if you want a free, small SSH client on Windows and need nothing else
- Works for scripts that call plink or pscp from the command line
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if you want tabs or a saved-session manager, because it is one window per connection
- Skip it if you are on a Mac or on Linux and want a ready-made app, as Unix gets a source archive only
- Watch out: the vendor says using the SSH tools is illegal in countries that outlaw encryption
- Watch out: putty.org is not the project's site; the real one is the chiark.greenend.org.uk page
How we grade them
| 2.8GPAMobaXtermGood | 3.0GPAPuTTYVery good | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AProfessional is $69 one-time with 12 months of updates, under a year of the category's $8.33 middle subscription. Home is free. | AFree to download and run, with no account and no paid tier at all. That puts it under the $1.67 a month line that marks the very cheapest remote-access tools. |
| Free plan and trial | BHome has the X server and SSH, RDP, VNC and SFTP, capped at 12 sessions, 2 tunnels and 4 macros. | AEverything is free outright: the SSH client, pscp, psftp, plink, puttygen and pageant, with nothing held back for a paid plan. |
| Features | BSSH, an X server, RDP, VNC and an SFTP browser together. The listing shows no gap in the core job. | CIt does the SSH and Telnet job fully, plus file copy and key tools, but it is a smaller job than a full session manager: the listing shows no tabs, no saved-session extras and no RDP. |
| Ease of use | BA portable app you run without installing, with no store rating read. | BNo store rating on record, but it is a program you download and start using; you type a host name and connect, though the key tools and command-line pieces take some reading. |
| Platforms and integrations | DWindows only, as the vendor describes it as a Windows application. | CWindows and Linux only, and the listing says Linux users get a source archive to build, not binaries. A program for computers alone, with no phone or web version. |
| Best for | SSH, X11 and RDP in one Windows app | a bare-bones SSH client on Windows |
The GPA is the average of the five grades: an A is 4 points, an F is none. The full reasons are on each tool's page: MobaXterm and PuTTY. How we grade
Where they differ
In commonFree planWindowsFile sharingRemote desktop
At a glance
| MobaXterm | PuTTY | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free |
| Starts at | $69 per user, one-time, with 12 months of updates | Free |
| Free plan | Home Edition: full X server and SSH, RDP and VNC clients, SFTP browser; capped at 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels and 4 macros. | None |
| Free trial | None listed | None listed |
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Mobatek | Simon Tatham and the PuTTY team |
| Price read from | mobaxterm.mobatek.net | chiark.greenend.org.uk |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
MobaXterm
- Runs on Windows only; the vendor describes it as a Windows application.
- The Home Edition caps sessions at 12, SSH tunnels at 2 and macros at 4.
- The Professional price includes 12 months of updates; the page does not state the price of later updates.
- For use inside a company, the vendor says to consider the Professional Edition; it mentions volume discounts.
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.
Key features
MobaXterm
- Tabbed SSH terminal
- Tabbed sessions based on PuTTY with antialiased fonts, macro support and a session manager for saved connections.
- Embedded X server
- An X.org-based server exports DISPLAY from a remote Unix host and carries X11 forwarding over SSH.
- Remote desktop protocols
- Besides SSH, the Home Edition lists RDP, VNC and Xdmcp for remote desktops, and Telnet, rlogin and Mosh for terminals.
- Automatic SFTP browser
- Opening an SSH session brings up a graphical SFTP browser so remote files can be edited directly.
- Unix commands on Windows
- Basic Cygwin commands such as bash, grep, awk, sed and rsync run in a single portable executable.
- Plugins and Customizer
- Plugins extend the app. The Professional Edition adds a Customizer for startup message, logo and profile script.
PuTTY
- SSH and Telnet client
- putty.exe is the SSH and Telnet client itself; a separate puttytel.exe is a Telnet-only build with no encryption-law caveat.
- File transfer tools
- pscp.exe is a command-line secure file copy and psftp.exe is an SFTP client for general file transfer sessions.
- Key tools
- puttygen.exe generates RSA and DSA keys, and pageant.exe is an SSH authentication agent for the other tools.
- Command-line back end
- plink.exe offers a command-line interface to the PuTTY back ends, for scripts and other programs.
- Installers and standalone binaries
- MSI installers cover 64-bit x86, 64-bit Arm and 32-bit x86, or each tool can be downloaded as a single exe.
Plans
MobaXterm
Home Edition$0
Free. Max. 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels and 4 macros; the vendor points company use to Professional.
Professional Edition$69
per user, one-time, with 12 months of updates
Also listed in euros at 49. Unlimited sessions, tunnels and macros, a Customizer tool and a lifetime right to use.
PuTTY
PuTTY$0
Free download of the full PuTTY suite; the Microsoft Store copy is also free of charge.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, MobaXterm or PuTTY?
As of Nov 13, 2026, MobaXterm starts at $69 per user, one-time, with 12 months of updates, and PuTTY is free.
Which has a free plan, MobaXterm or PuTTY?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both MobaXterm and PuTTY have a free plan.
Which platforms do MobaXterm and PuTTY run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only PuTTY lists a Linux app. Both list a Windows app. A platform missing from a listing is one its maker's pages did not mention.
More comparisons
How this page was made
- The verdict at the top follows a fixed rule. When both tools are in the same category and either is in our top three for it, the verdict follows that ranking: the higher-placed tool is our pick. The top three weigh who each tool suits as well as its grades, so a pick can go against the GPA. Otherwise the page does not pick one and says which grades higher: the higher GPA first; on a tie, the one with a free plan, then the one that starts cheaper in dollars a month, counted the same way for both; if they are still level, what the choice depends on.
- The grades are our own, from each tool’s review or report card. The GPA is their average.
- Prices, plans and platforms come from each tool’s listing. The table above says where each price was read and when.
- The differences and the answers to the questions are worked out from those listings.