# Tabby review (2026): is it any good? > Configurable terminal with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients Checked Nov 13, 2026 ยท graded Nov 13, 2026 by ToolGPA. Tabby, formerly Terminus, is a terminal emulator with an integrated SSH and Telnet client and connection manager, and a serial terminal. It runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and a web app version offers SSH, SFTP and Telnet from a browser. The project is free and open source under the MIT license. - **Category:** Remote Desktop - **Made by:** Eugeny (Tabby project) - **Website:** https://tabby.sh - **Runs on:** Windows, macOS, Linux, Web - **Who should skip it:** Not for you if memory use matters, since the project says Tabby is not lightweight. - **Facts last checked:** Nov 13, 2026 ## Pricing As of Nov 13, 2026, Tabby is free to use. - **Pricing model:** Free - **Free plan:** None. - **Free trial:** None listed. | Plan | Price | What you get | | --- | --- | --- | | Tabby | $0 | Free and open source; the web app can also be self-hosted. | Read from https://tabby.sh on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Tabby before buying. ## Key features - **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. ## Good for - People who want one free terminal for local shells, SSH and serial ports - Windows users replacing PuTTY or the default console - Anyone who wants to inspect or build on open-source code ## Worth knowing - 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. ## ToolGPA grades **GPA: 3.2 out of 4**, graded Nov 13, 2026. Tabby is a free, open-source terminal that puts local shells, SSH, Telnet and serial ports in one tabbed window on Windows, macOS and Linux. The project itself says it is not lightweight, and it has no phone app and no team features. - **Value for money: A.** Free under the MIT license, and the web app can be self-hosted at no charge. Nothing to pay for anything it lists. - **Free plan and trial: A.** The whole project is free, with no paid tier and no account, so nothing is held back. - **Features: B.** SSH 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. - **Ease of use: B.** No store rating on record. It installs like any desktop app, but connections, plugins and shortcuts are for you to configure. - **Platforms and integrations: C.** Windows, macOS, Linux and a web app. No iOS or Android app, and the listing shows few integrations beyond local shells and Docker. These are ToolGPA's own grades. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from the Tabby project's 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 - Tabby's GPA of 3.2 is higher than 79 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 6. - It stands best on free plan and trial (A, above 71 of 85) and worst on platforms and integrations (C, above 12). - Tabby has no paid plan. - On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.7 out of 4, and no tool on the category's chart scores higher without costing more. The category's chart of price against score: https://toolgpa.com/charts/remote-access ## Keep it, or make your own? **Keep it.** Tabby 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 3.2 is higher than 79 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade. - You could not: Storing and serving files for other people. - You could not: Apps for macOS, Windows and Linux that stay in step with each other. - You could not: The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job. A judgement by ToolGPA from this listing, by rules that are the same for every tool. Nothing was built to test it. ## Works with PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash, Docker **Tags:** Open source, Self-hostable, Keyboard-first, File sharing ## Alternatives - [PuTTY](https://toolgpa.com/tools/putty): Free SSH and Telnet client for Windows with file-copy utilities. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/putty-vs-tabby) - [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-tabby) - [Termius](https://toolgpa.com/tools/termius): SSH and SFTP client for desktop and mobile with a synced vault. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/tabby-vs-termius) - [SecureCRT](https://toolgpa.com/tools/securecrt): SSH, Telnet and serial terminal for Windows, macOS and Linux. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/securecrt-vs-tabby) - [Xshell](https://toolgpa.com/tools/xshell): SSH terminal for Windows with session, tab and file managers. [Compare](https://toolgpa.com/compare/tabby-vs-xshell) ## Sources The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026: - https://tabby.sh - https://tabby.sh/pricing - https://github.com/Eugeny/tabby - https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Eugeny/tabby/master/README.md Page: https://toolgpa.com/tools/tabby Listed by ToolGPA (toolgpa.com).