Tabby vs Termius (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tabby grades higher than Termius: 3.2 against 2.6 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tabby grades higher on value for money, the free plan and features. Termius grades higher on platforms. They get the same grade on ease of use.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Termius
SSH and SFTP client for desktop and mobile with a synced vault
Which one is for you
Pick Tabby if
- Fits if you want one free app for local shells, SSH and serial ports
- Works for Windows users replacing PuTTY or the default console
Look elsewhere if
- Not for you if memory use matters, since the project says Tabby is not lightweight
- Skip it if you need shared vaults or team features, as the pages describe none
- Too light for support needs: there is no paid support, only the open-source project
- Watch out: it is not a new shell and does not replace MinGW or Cygwin
Pick Termius if
- Fits if you want one SSH client on a laptop and a phone
- Makes sense if a team needs shared, access-controlled hosts
Look elsewhere if
- Tight if you want sync, as the free plan keeps the vault local
- Pricey if you want a team: Team is $20 and Business $30 per seat a month
- Watch out: SAML SSO is an add-on on Business and included only in Enterprise
- Watch out: the trial length is not stated, and Enterprise has no price
How we grade them
| 3.2GPATabbyVery good | 2.6GPATermiusGood | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | AFree under the MIT license, and the web app can be self-hosted at no charge. Nothing to pay for anything it lists. | CPro is $10 a month billed yearly, against the $8.33 middle, so just above it. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole project is free, with no paid tier and no account, so nothing is held back. | BStarter is free, including for commercial use, with SSH, SFTP and port forwarding, but the vault stays local. |
| Features | BSSH with jump hosts and port forwarding, serial, Telnet, split panes, local shells and an encrypted secrets container. The listing names no gap in the core terminal job. | CSSH, SFTP, snippets and shared vaults. Syncing needs Pro or higher, and SAML SSO is an add-on on Business. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It installs like any desktop app, but connections, plugins and shortcuts are for you to configure. | BAn app you install and start, with no store rating read and no setup before the first host. |
| Platforms and integrations | CWindows, macOS, Linux and a web app. No iOS or Android app, and the listing shows few integrations beyond local shells and Docker. | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with no API or integrations list on the pages read. |
| Best for | a free terminal for local shells and SSH | one SSH client on your laptop and phone |
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: Tabby and Termius. How we grade
Price against what you get
Tabby has no paid plan and scores 2.7 out of 4 on features, ease of use and platforms. Termius starts at $10 a month and scores 2.7.
They score the same, and Tabby starts $10 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Tabby for less, and 3 score higher than Termius for less.
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
Where they differ
- Tabby is open source and self-hostable, according to its own site.
- Tabby also covers file sharing.
At a glance
| Tabby | Termius | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $10 per month, billed annually |
| Free plan | None | Starter: local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding; the page says it is available for commercial use. |
| Free trial | None listed | Free trial of the paid plans; the pricing page does not state its length |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Eugeny (Tabby project) | Termius Corporation |
| Price read from | tabby.sh | termius.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
Tabby
- The project says it is not lightweight; it points to other terminals if memory use matters.
- Tabby is not a new shell and does not replace MinGW or Cygwin.
- The pages read describe no team features such as shared vaults, and list no paid support.
Termius
- Syncing across devices needs Pro or higher; the free plan keeps the vault local.
- SAML SSO is an add-on on Business and included only in Enterprise.
- Enterprise has no published price, and the SOC 2 Type II report is listed only there.
Key features
Tabby
- SSH and Telnet client
- SSH2 with a connection manager, X11 and port forwarding, jump hosts, agent forwarding and login scripts.
- Serial terminal
- Saved serial connections with readline input, optional hex input and hexdump output, newline conversion and automatic reconnection.
- Split panes and tabs
- Nested split panes, tabs on any side of the window, a dockable quick console with a global hotkey and fully configurable shortcuts.
- Local shells on Windows
- Profiles for PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash, Cygwin, MSYS2, Cmder and CMD sit beside remote sessions.
- Encrypted secrets container
- SSH secrets and configuration are kept in an integrated encrypted container; Zmodem transfers files from SSH sessions.
- Plugins and web app
- Plugins and themes install from the settings view, and a web app offers SSH, SFTP and Telnet, with a self-hosted option.
Termius
- SSH and SFTP
- Connect to servers over SSH and move files with SFTP from the same app, on every plan including the free one.
- Vault for hosts and keys
- Hosts and keychain entries are kept in a local vault on Starter; Pro moves it to a personal cloud vault synced between devices.
- Snippets and port forwarding
- Port forwarding comes with the free plan. Snippets automation is listed from Pro upward.
- Shared vaults
- Team adds one shared vault with real-time collaboration; Business adds several vaults with granular access control.
- Session logs
- Pro records session logs, and Team and above can share them with teammates.
- Desktop and mobile apps
- The site offers downloads for Windows, Linux and macOS, plus iOS and Android apps.
Plans
Tabby
Tabby$0
Free and open source; the web app can also be self-hosted.
Termius
Starter$0
Local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding.
Pro$10
per month, billed annually
Adds a personal cloud vault, sync across mobile and desktop, session logs and snippets automation.
Team$20
per seat / month, billed annually
Adds one shared team vault, real-time collaboration, shared session logs and consolidated billing.
Business$30
per seat / month, billed annually
Adds multiple team vaults and granular access control on vaults; SAML SSO is an add-on.
EnterpriseCustom
Adds SAML SSO, a SOC 2 Type II report, priority support and a dedicated manager.
Ways to pay less
Tabby
No public discounts listed.
Termius
- Education
Free for GitHub Student Developer Pack holders
Students with an active GitHub Student Developer Pack get the features of Termius Pro and Team for free.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Tabby or Termius?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tabby is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $10 a month for Termius. Tabby is free, and Termius starts at $10 per month, billed annually.
Which has a free plan, Tabby or Termius?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Tabby and Termius have a free plan.
Which platforms do Tabby and Termius run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Tabby lists a web app and only Termius lists iOS and Android apps. Both list macOS, Windows and Linux apps. 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.