# PuTTY review (2026): is it any good? > Free SSH and Telnet client for Windows with file-copy utilities Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. PuTTY is a free implementation of SSH and Telnet for Windows and Unix platforms, with an xterm terminal emulator. It is written and maintained primarily by Simon Tatham. The download bundle also carries command-line SCP and SFTP clients, a key generator and an SSH authentication agent. - **Category:** Remote Desktop - **Made by:** Simon Tatham and the PuTTY team - **Website:** https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ - **Runs on:** Windows, Linux - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if you want tabs or a saved-session manager, because it is one window per connection. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, PuTTY is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | PuTTY | $0 | Free download of the full PuTTY suite; the Microsoft Store copy is also free of charge. | Read from https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with PuTTY before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - Windows users who want a small, free SSH client with no account - Scripts that need a command-line SSH or file-copy tool - Admins who already hold PuTTY-format keys and sessions ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.0 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. PuTTY is a free SSH and Telnet client for Windows with file-copy, key and command-line tools in the same download. It stays small and costs nothing, but it is a plain window with no tabs or session extras, and Unix users only get source code to build. - **Value for money: A.** Free 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: A.** Everything is free outright: the SSH client, pscp, psftp, plink, puttygen and pageant, with nothing held back for a paid plan. - **Features: C.** It 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: B.** No 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: C.** Windows 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. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from Simon Tatham's own page own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. ## Where it stands among remote desktop apps - PuTTY's GPA of 3.0 is higher than 75 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 3. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 71 of 85) and worst on features (C, above 1). - PuTTY has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.3 out of 4. Nothing scores higher for less, though at least one tool matches that score at a lower price. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/remote-access ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** PuTTY is free, so making your own would save you nothing. And it is not the kind of software a weekend replaces. It is one of the better ones too: its GPA of 3.0 is higher than 75 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade. - You could not: A fast, secure link to another computer through any network. - You could not: Storing and serving files for other people. - You could not: A real app for Windows and Linux. Something home-made would be a web page. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. **Tags:** Remote desktop, File sharing ## Alternatives - [MobaXterm](https://toolgpa.com/tools/mobaxterm): Tabbed SSH client and X server for Windows in one portable app. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/mobaxterm-vs-putty) - [SecureCRT](https://toolgpa.com/tools/securecrt): SSH, Telnet and serial terminal for Windows, macOS and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/putty-vs-securecrt) - [Xshell](https://toolgpa.com/tools/xshell): SSH terminal for Windows with session, tab and file managers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/putty-vs-xshell) - [Termius](https://toolgpa.com/tools/termius): SSH and SFTP client for desktop and mobile with a synced vault. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/putty-vs-termius) - [Tabby](https://toolgpa.com/tools/tabby): Configurable terminal with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/putty-vs-tabby) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ - https://www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/latest.html - https://www.putty.org Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/putty Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).