Termius vs Xshell (2026): which should you pick?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Termius grades higher than Xshell: 2.6 against 2.4 out of 4.0.
Checked Nov 13, 2026 · graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA
Termius grades higher on ease of use and platforms. Xshell grades higher on value for money and features. They get the same grade on the free plan.
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
Xshell
SSH terminal for Windows with session, tab and file managers
Which one is for you
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
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
| 2.6GPATermiusGood | 2.4GPAXshellFair | |
|---|---|---|
| Value for money | CPro is $10 a month billed yearly, against the $8.33 middle, so just above it. | 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 | BStarter is free, including for commercial use, with SSH, SFTP and port forwarding, but the vault stays local. | 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 | CSSH, SFTP, snippets and shared vaults. Syncing needs Pro or higher, and SAML SSO is an add-on on Business. | 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 | BAn app you install and start, with no store rating read and no setup before the first host. | CNo store rating on record. It needs sessions and authentication profiles set up before it saves you time. |
| Platforms and integrations | BMac, Windows, Linux, iPhone and Android, with no API or integrations list on the pages read. | DWindows only: the download page lists Windows 8 and later and no macOS or Linux build. |
| Best for | one SSH client on your laptop and phone | 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: Termius and Xshell. How we grade
Price against what you get
Termius starts at $10 a month 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.
Termius scores higher, and starts $0.08 a month higher: the question is whether the extra is worth that to you. Of the other remote desktop apps on the chart, 3 score higher than Termius 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
- Xshell can be bought with a one-time purchase.
- Xshell also covers workflow automation and remote desktop.
At a glance
| Termius | Xshell | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Starts at | $10 per month, billed annually | $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance |
| Free plan | Starter: local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding; the page says it is available for commercial use. | Free license for personal and educational (non-commercial) use of Xshell and Xftp; business use needs a paid license. |
| Free trial | Free trial of the paid plans; the pricing page does not state its length | 30-day evaluation |
| macOS | ||
| Windows | ||
| Linux | ||
| iOS | ||
| Android | ||
| Made by | Termius Corporation | NetSarang Computer, Inc. |
| Price read from | termius.com | netsarang.com |
| Checked | Nov 13, 2026 | Nov 13, 2026 |
Worth knowing
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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, Termius or Xshell?
As of Nov 13, 2026, Termius starts at $10 per month, billed annually, and Xshell starts at $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance. One is priced for each person and the other is not, so which costs less depends on how many of you use it.
Which has a free plan, Termius or Xshell?
As of Nov 13, 2026, both Termius and Xshell have a free plan.
Which platforms do Termius and Xshell run on?
As of Nov 13, 2026, only Termius lists macOS, Linux, iOS and Android 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.