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Head-to-head · Terminal Emulators

Windows Terminal vs PuTTY

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Windows Terminal #2 in Terminal Emulators 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Microsoft
PuTTY #5 in Terminal Emulators 8.8/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit PuTTY

Windows Terminal leads on 0 checks, PuTTY on 0, and 5 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreWindows Terminal · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresWindows Terminal · 4 of 5

Windows Terminal scores higher on our rubric for terminal emulators: 9.3 against 8.8 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #5.

Windows Terminal is the better fit for windows users with multiple shell environments. PuTTY is the better fit for free SSH and network-session management.

  • Windows Terminal fits best

    Windows users with multiple shell environments

  • PuTTY fits best

    Free SSH and network-session management

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Side by side

Feature Windows Terminal 9.3/10 Visit ↗ PuTTY 8.8/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.8
Ranking #2 in Terminal Emulators #5 in Terminal Emulators
Best for Windows users with multiple shell environments Free SSH and network-session management
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows Windows, Linux
Support Community, Docs Email, Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Windows Terminal 4/5 · PuTTY 0/5
Split panes ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Session sync Not checked yet Not checked yet
GPU acceleration ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Scripting API ✓ (best) Not checked yet
SSH support ✓ (best) Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms Windows Windows and Unix
Our review
Pros
  • Hosts PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, Git Bash, and Azure Cloud Shell
  • Tabs, split panes, profiles, themes, shortcuts, and customizable backgrounds
  • GPU-accelerated rendering, SSH profiles, and wt.exe command-line automation
  • Supports SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, serial, raw, and other connections
  • Includes SFTP, SCP, port forwarding, proxy support, and X11 forwarding
  • Provides saved sessions, Pageant, PSCP, PSFTP, and Plink
Cons
  • Runs on Windows rather than across multiple operating systems
  • Its value depends on working primarily with command-line tools
  • Profile and layout customization may require workflow configuration
  • Session management is basic
  • No release-quality Android, iOS, or macOS ports
  • Unix support is provided as source code
Our verdict

Windows Terminal is Microsoft’s open-source terminal application for running command-line shells and applications on Windows. It is aimed at users who move between PowerShell, Command Prompt, Windows Subsystem for Linux distributions,…

Read the review →

PuTTY is a free, open-source terminal client for users who need SSH access, file transfer, serial connections, or other network sessions. It supports Windows and Unix systems and combines an xterm-style terminal emulator with tools for…

Read the review →
  1. Windows TerminalTerminal Emulators 9.3Free plan
  2. PuTTYTerminal Emulators 8.8Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Windows Terminal — where it wins

    • Hosts PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, Git Bash, and Azure Cloud Shell
    • Tabs, split panes, profiles, themes, shortcuts, and customizable backgrounds
    • GPU-accelerated rendering, SSH profiles, and wt.exe command-line automation

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs on Windows rather than across multiple operating systems
    • Its value depends on working primarily with command-line tools
    • Profile and layout customization may require workflow configuration

  • PuTTY — where it wins

    • Supports SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, serial, raw, and other connections
    • Includes SFTP, SCP, port forwarding, proxy support, and X11 forwarding
    • Provides saved sessions, Pageant, PSCP, PSFTP, and Plink

    Where it doesn't

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

More comparisons

All terminal emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update