Tabby vs PuTTY

Tabby9.2Visit PPuTTY9.0Visit

Higher score Tabby #1 in SSH Clients 9.2/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 3 features Visit Tabby

vs

P PuTTY #3 in SSH Clients 9.0/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit PuTTY

• Tabby fits best

  Developers wanting a powerful free terminal

• PuTTY fits best

  Users wanting a proven free SSH client

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Side by side

Feature	Tabby 9.2/10 Visit ↗	PPuTTY 9.0/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.2	9.0
Ranking	#1 in SSH Clients	#3 in SSH Clients
Best for	Developers wanting a powerful free terminal	Users wanting a proven free SSH client
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop, Self-hosted	Desktop
Platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows, Linux
Features Tabby 0/3 · PuTTY 2/3
SFTP support	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Port forwarding	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Team session sharing	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported protocols	Not checked yet	SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, SUPDUP, raw, serial, SFTP, SCP
Supported platforms	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows and Unix
Session management	Not checked yet	Basic
Our review
Pros	Integrated SSH client with jump hosts, forwarding, SFTP, and connection management Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and a self-hosted web application Split panes, encrypted SSH secrets, themes, and automation-oriented plugins	Free and open source with SSH, SFTP, SCP, and port forwarding Supports public-key authentication, Pageant, proxying, and X11 forwarding Includes saved sessions, PSFTP, PSCP, and the Plink command-line client
Cons	Desktop-focused coverage may not suit teams seeking broader client availability Configuration sync relies on the sync-config plugin, Gist, or Gitee Its wide feature set may be more than users need for basic SSH sessions	Session management is basic No release-quality Android, iOS, or macOS ports Unix support is provided as source code rather than Windows-style executables
Our verdict	Tabby is an open-source terminal emulator for developers and system administrators who need more than a basic SSH window. It combines local shell access with integrated SSH, serial, and Telnet clients across Windows, macOS, and Linux.… Read the review →	PuTTY is a free, open-source client for terminal access, file transfer, and SSH networking. It supports SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, SUPDUP, raw network connections, and serial sessions, making it suitable for users who work across different… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Tabby — where it wins

  • Integrated SSH client with jump hosts, forwarding, SFTP, and connection management
  • Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, and a self-hosted web application
  • Split panes, encrypted SSH secrets, themes, and automation-oriented plugins

  Where it doesn't

  • Desktop-focused coverage may not suit teams seeking broader client availability
  • Configuration sync relies on the sync-config plugin, Gist, or Gitee
  • Its wide feature set may be more than users need for basic SSH sessions

• PuTTY — where it wins

  • Free and open source with SSH, SFTP, SCP, and port forwarding
  • Supports public-key authentication, Pageant, proxying, and X11 forwarding
  • Includes saved sessions, PSFTP, PSCP, and the Plink command-line client

  Where it doesn't

  • Session management is basic
  • No release-quality Android, iOS, or macOS ports
  • Unix support is provided as source code rather than Windows-style executables

• Tabby9.2/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source terminal with broad shell support and advanced SSH workflows.

  Visit TabbyFull verdict →
• PPuTTY9.0/10 · Free plan

  A capable free SSH client with broad protocol support and basic session management.

  Visit PuTTYFull verdict →