Xshell review (2026): is the free plan enough?
SSH terminal for Windows with session, tab and file managers
Black Friday: is there a Xshell sale?
Xshell report card
Fair · out of 4.0 · graded Nov 13, 2026
Best for SSH, SFTP and RDP tabs on a Windows PC
Xshell is a Windows SSH client with session, tab and quick-command panels and RDP in the same window. It is free for personal and school use, but businesses pay $119 once, it only runs on Windows, and updates stop after the first year unless you pay on.
Who Xshell is for
- 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
Who Xshell is not for
- 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
Why Xshell gets a 2.4
Five grades, each with its reason. The GPA is their average: an A is 4 points, an F is none.
- BValue for money$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.
- BFree plan and trialThe 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.
- BFeaturesSSH, 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.
- CEase of useNo store rating on record. It needs sessions and authentication profiles set up before it saves you time.
- DPlatforms and integrationsWindows only: the download page lists Windows 8 and later and no macOS or Linux build.
What these grades rest on. Graded from this listing, whose facts were read from NetSarang's own pages on 13 November 2026. Not based on using the product, and shorter than our full reviews. How we review and grade.
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<a href="https://toolgpa.com/tools/xshell#review"><img src="https://toolgpa.com/badge/xshell.svg" alt="Xshell: 2.4 GPA on ToolGPA" width="196" height="56"></a>Where Xshell stands among remote desktop apps
Xshell's GPA of 2.4 is higher than 35 of the 85 other remote desktop apps we grade, and level with 13.
It stands best on features (B, above 55 of 85) and worst on platforms and integrations (D, above 0).
Its paid plans start at $9.92 a month when paid by the year for each person, against a middle price of $8.33 for the category: 25 of the 44 others that charge start lower.
On features, ease of use and platforms it scores 2.0 out of 4. 26 tools score higher and cost less.
Each grade against the category
Every bar is all 86 remote desktop apps we grade, cut by the letter each got. Xshell’s own letter is outlined.
- BValue for moneyAbove 54 of 85, level with 8
- BFree plan and trialAbove 48 of 85, level with 22
- BFeaturesAbove 55 of 85, level with 30
- CEase of useAbove 10 of 85, level with 48
- DPlatforms and integrationsAbove 0 of 85, level with 11
Price against what you get
Each dot is one of 59 remote desktop apps. Further left costs less, and higher up scores better on features, ease of use and platforms. Point at a dot to see which tool it is.
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
Keep Xshell, or make your own?
Keep it
To replace Xshell you would be making a fast, secure link to another computer through any network. That is not a weekend's work, with an AI app builder or without one.
It costs $119 a year.
What you could not
- A fast, secure link to another computer through any network.
- Connections to other products, each kept working as those products change.
- A real app for Windows. Something home-made would be a web page.
- It is priced for each person, which means accounts and billing for a team.
- The depth: we grade its features B, which means it covers the whole job.
What this rests on. Xshell’s listing: what it does, where it runs, what it plugs into and what it costs. It is a judgement about the kind of software this is. We have not built a replacement for it, and making your own means looking after it too. How we decide, and every tool’s verdict.
What is Xshell?
Xshell is an SSH client from NetSarang for Windows that also opens SFTP, Telnet and RDP sessions. It adds a session manager, quick command buttons, triggers and reusable authentication profiles. NetSarang offers a free license for personal and educational use and sells perpetual licenses for business.
Worth knowing
- 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
- 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.
Xshell pricing
As of Nov 13, 2026, Xshell has a free plan, and paid plans start at $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance.
- Starts at
- $119 per user, perpetual, with 1 year of maintenance
- Free plan
- Free license for personal and educational (non-commercial) use of Xshell and Xftp; business use needs a paid license.
- Free trial
- 30-day evaluation
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free (personal and educational) | $0 | Non-commercial use only; downloading it signs you up for occasional promotional emails. |
| Xshell | $119per 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 | $139per user, perpetual license, 1 year of maintenance included | Xshell plus Xftp, the SFTP and FTP transfer client. |
| Xmanager Power Suite | $399per user, perpetual license, 1 year of maintenance included | Xmanager X server, Xshell, Xftp and the Xlpd print server together. |
Read from netsarang.com on Nov 13, 2026. Prices change, so confirm with Xshell before you buy.
Ways to pay less
- EducationFree 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.
Stated on netsarang.com
Works with
- Xftp
- Xmanager
Xshell alternatives
- Xshell vs SecureCRT
Free trial · from $119/yr
- Xshell vs MobaXterm
Free plan · from $69 one-time
- Xshell vs PuTTY
Free
- Xshell vs Termius
Free plan · from $10/mo
- Xshell vs Tabby
Free
Common questions
Does Xshell have an Android app?
No Android app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Xshell is listed for Windows.
Does Xshell have an iPhone app?
No iPhone app was listed when its pages were read on Nov 13, 2026. Xshell is listed for Windows.
Is Xshell open source?
Xshell is not described as open source on its own site, as read on Nov 13, 2026.
Sources for this page
The prices, plans, platforms and features above were read from these pages on Nov 13, 2026.