Tabby vs Xshell (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tabby grades higher than Xshell: 3.2 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Tabby grades higher on value for money, the free plan, ease of use and platforms. They get the same grade on features.
Price, platforms and features side by side. The table says where each price was read and when.
Xshell
SSH terminal for Windows with session, tab and file managers
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 Xshell if
- Fits if you are a student or hobbyist on Windows who qualifies for the free license
- Works for a company that would rather buy a perpetual license than rent one
Look elsewhere if
- Skip it if you use a Mac or Linux, as there is no build for either
- Not for you if you work for a company and expected the free license, because business use needs a paid one
- Watch out: the license includes only 1 year of maintenance, and the page gives no price after that
- Watch out: SFTP file transfer is a separate product, Xftp, unless you buy Xshell Plus at $139
- Watch out: downloading the free version signs you up for promotional emails
How we grade them
| 3.2GPATabbyVery good | 2.4GPAXshellFair | |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | B$119 once for up to 2 devices, with a year of updates, is under two years of this category's middle subscription ($8.33 a month). Xshell Plus with Xftp is $139 and the full suite $399. |
| Free plan and trial | AThe whole project is free, with no paid tier and no account, so nothing is held back. | BThe free license covers personal and educational use with no stated cap, but business use is outside it and needs a paid license after the 30-day evaluation. |
| 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. | BSSH, Telnet, SFTP and RDP tabs, quick commands, triggers, script recording and shared authentication profiles. Nothing in the listing is missing from a terminal client's core job. |
| Ease of use | BNo store rating on record. It installs like any desktop app, but connections, plugins and shortcuts are for you to configure. | CNo store rating on record. It needs sessions and authentication profiles set up before it saves you time. |
| 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. | DWindows only: the download page lists Windows 8 and later and no macOS or Linux build. |
| Best for | a free terminal for local shells and SSH | SSH, SFTP and RDP tabs on a Windows PC |
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 Xshell. 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. Xshell starts at $9.92 a month when paid by the year for each person and scores 2.0.
Tabby scores higher and starts $9.92 a month lower. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, none scores higher than Tabby for less, and 26 score higher than Xshell 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.
- Xshell can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Tabby also covers file sharing.
- Xshell also covers workflow automation and remote desktop.
At a glance
| Tabby | Xshell | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free plan |
| Starts at | Free | $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance |
| Free plan | None | Free license for personal and educational (non-commercial) use of Xshell and Xftp; business use needs a paid license. |
| Free trial | None listed | 30-day evaluation |
| Web | ||
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| Made by | Eugeny (Tabby project) | NetSarang Computer, Inc. |
| Price read from | tabby.sh | netsarang.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.
Xshell
- The free license excludes business use; the vendor says commercial use needs a paid license.
- A paid license includes 1 year of maintenance (updates and support); the page does not give the price after that.
- The download page lists Windows 8 and later; no macOS or Linux build is listed.
- Volume discounts are by quote; the vendor tells larger buyers to contact sales.
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.
Xshell
- Session, tab and file managers
- Dockable panels for saved sessions, open tabs, a quick command manager and a file manager sit around the terminal.
- Quick commands and triggers
- Build buttons for frequent commands, run actions when terminal output matches a pattern, and use a compose pane for multi-line input.
- Script recording
- Scripts can be generated automatically from the input and output of a terminal session.
- Authentication profiles
- Save a set of authentication settings once, apply it to many sessions and update them all by editing the profile.
- RDP in the same window
- Remote Desktop sessions open as tabs beside terminal sessions in one window.
- Color themes and highlight rules
- Dark and other themes, per-session color schemes and highlight rules that pick out important terminal text.
Plans
Tabby
Tabby$0
Free and open source; the web app can also be self-hosted.
Xshell
Free (personal and educational)$0
Non-commercial use only; downloading it signs you up for occasional promotional emails.
Xshell$119
per user, perpetual license, 1 year of maintenance included
Single-user license for up to 2 devices, with 1 year of free updates and support.
Xshell Plus$139
per user, perpetual license, 1 year of maintenance included
Xshell plus Xftp, the SFTP and FTP transfer client.
Xmanager Power Suite$399
per user, perpetual license, 1 year of maintenance included
Xmanager X server, Xshell, Xftp and the Xlpd print server together.
Ways to pay less
Tabby
No public discounts listed.
Xshell
- Education
Free license for personal and educational use
NetSarang licenses Xshell and Xftp free for personal and educational use only; any business use is outside the free terms.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Tabby or Xshell?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Tabby is cheaper to start with: it is free, against $9.92 a month when paid by the year for each person for Xshell. Tabby is free, and Xshell starts at $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance.
Which has a free plan, Tabby or Xshell?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Tabby and Xshell have a free plan.
Which platforms do Tabby and Xshell run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Tabby lists a web app and macOS and Linux apps. 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.