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Best SmarTTY Alternatives in 2026

Free#31 of 33 in SSH Clients

The top SmarTTY alternatives are Tabby, OpenSSH and PuTTY: 15 SSH clients our editors would look at instead of SmarTTY, in our ranking order.

6.1/10Editor score

Visit SmarTTY

SmarTTY6.1 Visit SmarTTY

15 alternatives
Updated Oct 2026
Our SmarTTY verdict

SmarTTY: A capable free Windows SSH tool with SCP, remote editing, and useful terminal extras. Where it falls short: windows-only platform support.

Switching from SmarTTY? For most ssh clients buyers the best SmarTTY alternative is Tabby, built for developers wanting a powerful free terminal. On a budget, Termius starts at $10/mo.

Why People Look for a SmarTTY Alternative

Windows-only platform support
Protocol coverage centers on SSH and SCP
No listed port-forwarding capability

Quick Picks by What You Need

Best overallTabby9.2
Developers wanting a powerful free terminal
Visit Tabby
Lowest priceTermius8.6
Paid plans from $10/mo
Visit Termius
Best free optionTabby9.2
Has a free plan
Visit Tabby

All 15 SmarTTY Alternatives, Ranked

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

1
Tabby
Best forDevelopers wanting a powerful free terminal
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 9.2 vs 6.1
A free, open-source terminal with broad shell support and advanced SSH workflows.

Free plan Our Tabby verdict → Visit Tabby
9.2/10★★★★★
Visit Tabby
2
OpenSSH
Best forMinimal, foundational SSH workflows
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 9.1 vs 6.1
A mature, foundational SSH suite for command-line remote access, transfer, and tunneling.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Open source Our OpenSSH verdict → Visit OpenSSH
9.1/10★★★★★
Visit OpenSSH
3
PuTTY
Best forUsers wanting a proven free SSH client
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 9.0 vs 6.1
A capable free SSH client with broad protocol support and basic session management.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our PuTTY verdict → Visit PuTTY
9.0/10★★★★☆
Visit PuTTY
4
Solar-PuTTY
Best forWindows users wanting a simple portable client
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.9 vs 6.1
A portable, free Windows client with tabs, file transfer, and automatic reconnection.
- SFTP support
Free plan Our Solar-PuTTY verdict → Visit Solar-PuTTY
8.9/10★★★★☆
Visit Solar-PuTTY
5
WinSCP
Best forWindows users focused on file transfer
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.8 vs 6.1
A capable Windows file-transfer tool with SSH support, scripting, and synchronization.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our WinSCP verdict → Visit WinSCP
8.8/10★★★★☆
Visit WinSCP
6
Tectia SSH Client
Best forOrganizations needing enterprise SSH authentication
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.7 vs 6.1
A mature enterprise SSH client with broad authentication and tunneling support.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Pricing on request · 45-day trial Our Tectia SSH Client verdict → Visit Tectia
8.7/10★★★★☆
Visit Tectia
7
Termius
Best forTeams needing polished cross-platform SSH
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.6 vs 6.1
A capable cross-platform SSH client with useful free features and paid team management.
- Team session sharing
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our Termius verdict → Visit Termius
8.6/10★★★★☆
Visit Termius
8
WindTerm
Best forFree users wanting a feature-rich desktop client
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.5 vs 6.1
A capable free desktop client for SSH, file transfers, forwarding, and organized terminal work.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our WindTerm verdict → Visit WindTerm
8.5/10★★★★☆
Visit WindTerm
9
MobaXterm
Best forWindows users needing many remote protocols
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.4 vs 6.1
A broad Windows SSH client with remote desktops, file transfer, tunneling and team session features.
- Team session sharing
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our MobaXterm verdict → Visit MobaXterm
8.4/10★★★★☆
Visit MobaXterm
10
electerm
Best forFree users needing broad SSH coverage
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.3 vs 6.1
A broad, free SSH client with file management, tunneling, and multi-platform access.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our electerm verdict → Visit electerm
8.3/10★★★★☆
Visit electerm
11
Xshell
Best forWindows users wanting mature session automation
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.2 vs 6.1
A mature Windows SSH client with automation, forwarding, file transfer, and session management.
- Team session sharing
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan · 30-day trial Our Xshell verdict → Visit Xshell
8.2/10★★★★☆
Visit Xshell
12
SecureCRT
Best forProfessional users needing automation and security
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.1 vs 6.1
A deep, automation-ready SSH client for professionals who can justify a per-device license.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
30-day trial Our SecureCRT verdict → Visit SecureCRT
8.1/10★★★★☆
Visit SecureCRT
13
Bitvise SSH Client
Best forWindows users needing advanced SFTP workflows
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 8.0 vs 6.1
A capable Windows SSH client for advanced SFTP, tunneling, and remote administration.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our Bitvise SSH Client verdict → Visit Bitvise
8.0/10★★★★☆
Visit Bitvise
14
Prompt
Best forApple users wanting polished SSH and Mosh
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 7.9 vs 6.1
A polished Apple-focused SSH client with Mosh, forwarding, sync, and hardware-backed authentication.
- Port forwarding
7-day trial Our Prompt verdict → Visit Panic
7.9/10★★★★☆
Visit Panic
15
mRemoteNG
Best forWindows users managing mixed remote protocols
- Better than SmarTTY:
- Editor score 7.8 vs 6.1
A free Windows tool for organizing SSH alongside a broad mix of remote protocols.
- Port forwarding
- SFTP support
Free plan Our mRemoteNG verdict → Visit mRemoteNG
7.8/10★★★★☆
Visit mRemoteNG

SmarTTY Alternatives: Common Questions

What is the best alternative to SmarTTY?

Tabby: #1 in our SSH Clients ranking, with an editor score of 9.2 out of 10. A free, open-source terminal with broad shell support and advanced SSH workflows.

Is there a free alternative to SmarTTY?

Yes. Tabby, OpenSSH, PuTTY, Solar-PuTTY and WinSCP have a free plan or a free tier (12 of the 15 alternatives on this page).

Why do people look for SmarTTY alternatives?

Windows-only platform support; Protocol coverage centers on SSH and SCP; No listed port-forwarding capability.

How do I switch from SmarTTY?

Export your data from SmarTTY (most tools have an export in their settings). Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one. Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on. Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel SmarTTY.

How to Switch from SmarTTY

Export your data from SmarTTY (most tools have an export in their settings).
Sign up for the alternative; start on its free plan or trial if it has one.
Import your export and set up the integrations your team relies on.
Run both side by side for a short while, then cancel SmarTTY.

SmarTTY vs Each Alternative

#	Tool	Free plan	Paid from	Supported protocols	Supported platforms	SFTP support	Port forwarding	Score
31	SmarTTY	Yes	Free	SSH, SCP	Windows 11, 10, 8.1, 8, 7, 2008			6.1
1	Tabby	Yes	Free		Windows, macOS, Linux			9.2
2	OpenSSH		Free	SSH 2, SFTP, SCP	Linux, macOS, Cygwin (Windows), and other Unix systems	Yes	Yes	9.1
3	PuTTY	Yes	Free	SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, SUPDUP, raw, serial, SFTP, SCP	Windows and Unix	Yes	Yes	9.0
4	Solar-PuTTY	Yes	Free	SSH, Telnet, SCP, SFTP	Windows	Yes		8.9
5	WinSCP	Yes	Free	SSH, SFTP, SCP, FTP, FTPS, WebDAV, WebDAVS, S3	Windows	Yes	Yes	8.8
6	Tectia SSH Client			SSH v2, SFTP, SCP, TCP tunneling	Windows, macOS, Linux, AIX, Solaris, and other Unix platforms	Yes	Yes	8.7
7	Termius	Yes	$10/mo	SSH, SFTP, Telnet, Mosh, local terminal	Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, iPadOS	Yes	Yes	8.6
8	WindTerm	Yes	Free	SSH, SFTP, SCP, Telnet, Raw TCP, Serial, XModem, YModem, ZModem	Windows, macOS, Linux	Yes	Yes	8.5
9	MobaXterm	Yes		SSH, SFTP, SCP, FTP, FTPS, Telnet, Rlogin, RSH, RDP, VNC, XDMCP, Mosh, Serial	Windows	Yes	Yes	8.4
10	electerm	Yes	Free	SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC, SPICE	Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, HarmonyOS	Yes	Yes	8.3
11	Xshell	Yes	$119/user one-time	SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, TELNET, RLOGIN, SERIAL, RDP, FTP	Windows 10/11; Windows Server 2012/2016/2019/2022	Yes	Yes	8.2
12	SecureCRT	No	$119/device one-time	SSH1, SSH2, Telnet, Telnet/TLS, serial, RDP, SFTP, SCP, FTPS, HTTPS, FTP, HTTP, Xmodem, Ymodem, Zmodem, Kermit, and TFTP	Windows, macOS, Linux	Yes	Yes	8.1
13	Bitvise SSH Client	Yes	$3,000 one-time	SSH v2, SFTP v3/v4/v6, SOCKS4, SOCKS4A, SOCKS5, HTTP CONNECT, FTP-to-SFTP bridge, VT-100, xterm, bvterm	Windows desktop and server editions, x86 and x64	Yes	Yes	8.0
14	Prompt	No	$9.99/yr	SSH, Telnet, Mosh, Eternal Terminal, and port forwarding	macOS, iOS/iPadOS, and visionOS		Yes	7.9
15	mRemoteNG	Yes	Free	RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, HTTP/HTTPS, rlogin, raw sockets, PowerShell remoting, AnyDesk, SFTP, SCP	Windows 10, Windows 11, Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, and 2022	Yes	Yes	7.8

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated 7 Oct 2026 · How we research and update