[ BEST SSH CLIENT 2026 ]
The best SSH client
depends on what you do.
Six SSH clients compared on platforms, price, licence, sync, vault and file transfer. The Vaulterm team wrote this page, so weigh it accordingly: every competitor fact comes from the vendor page linked in the table, and we say where each is stronger.
Checked 2026-10-25. "Not listed" means the page in the Source column does not say, not that the feature is missing. Prices change.
| Client | Platforms | Price | Licence | Sync | Vault | File transfer | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vaulterm | macOS 13+, Windows 10+, Linux. iPhone app coming | Free. Pro $5 a month, $49 for 12 months or $349 once. Ultra from $24 for 3 months | Closed source | End-to-end encrypted on every plan: Free 5 items, Pro 250, Ultra 10,000 | Encrypted local vault, hostnames included. Works offline | SFTP free. FTP, FTPS and S3 in Pro | Vaulterm pricing |
| Termius | Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android | Starter free. Pro $10/mo billed annually. Team $20/seat, Business $30/seat. Enterprise custom | Not listed | Cloud vault and sync from Pro | Local vault in Starter | SFTP in Starter | termius.com/pricing |
| MobaXterm | Windows. Mobatek says it is only supported under Windows | Home free (12 sessions, 2 tunnels, 4 macros). Professional $69 or 49 EUR per user, excluding tax | Not listed | Not listed | Master password protection for saved passwords, both editions | SFTP and FTP sessions | mobaxterm.mobatek.net/features.html |
| SecureCRT | Windows, macOS and Linux | $190 with 3 years of updates, $119 with 1 year. 30-day evaluation. Subject to change | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | SFTP, and SecureFX integration | vandyke.com/products/securecrt/ |
| PuTTY | Windows and Unix platforms | Free | MIT | Not listed | Not listed | PSCP and PSFTP, as separate programs | PuTTY licence page |
| Tabby | Windows, macOS and Linux | Not listed | MIT | No built-in sync listed. A third-party plugin syncs config to Gist or Gitee | Integrated encrypted container for SSH secrets and configuration | Not listed | github.com/Eugeny/tabby |
Pick by need
- Free, with an encrypted vault. Vaulterm has unlimited hosts, SFTP, split panes and an encrypted vault with no account. Tabby lists an encrypted container for SSH secrets too.
- On a Mac. See SSH client for Mac.
- Windows with X11 or RDP needs. MobaXterm has an embedded X server and RDP. Vaulterm and MobaXterm. Vaulterm has neither.
- Scripting and enterprise needs. SecureCRT lists scripting languages, smart card sign-in and optional FIPS ciphers. Vaulterm and SecureCRT.
- Open source. Tabby and PuTTY are both MIT licensed. Vaulterm is closed source. Vaulterm and PuTTY.
- Teams, SSO and a SOC 2 report. Termius lists them on its higher plans. Vaulterm Teams is not on sale. Vaulterm and Termius.
- Editing code on servers. Vaulterm Code is an editor inside Vaulterm, for folders on this computer (Free) or on a saved server (Pro). Vaulterm Code and VS Code Remote-SSH.
Already have a setup? Switch to Vaulterm imports ~/.ssh/config and PuTTY sessions.
Questions
What is the best free SSH client?
It depends on what you need. Vaulterm Free, Termius Starter, MobaXterm Home, PuTTY and Tabby all have a free option. Vaulterm Free includes an encrypted vault, hostnames included, and needs no account; the table above shows what the others list.
Which SSH client has a vault for my passwords and keys?
Vaulterm keeps hosts, keys and passwords in an encrypted local vault, hostnames included. Termius lists a local vault in Starter. Tabby lists an integrated encrypted container for SSH secrets and configuration. See how the Vaulterm vault works.
Who wrote this comparison?
The Vaulterm team. We list where each client is stronger, take every competitor cell from the vendor page named in the table, and write "not listed" where that page says nothing.
Sources
Checked 2026-10-25. Vendor pages carry no date of their own, so prices and features may have changed since.
- Termius pricing
termius.com/pricing - Termius download
termius.com/download - MobaXterm features
mobaxterm.mobatek.net/features.html - MobaXterm download and editions
mobaxterm.mobatek.net/download.html - Mobatek: how to run MobaXterm on Linux
download.mobatek.net/mobaxterm-on-linux.html - SecureCRT product page
www.vandyke.com/products/securecrt/ - VanDyke pricing
www.vandyke.com/pricing/index.html - PuTTY home page
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/ - PuTTY licence
www.chiark.greenend.org.uk/~sgtatham/putty/licence.html - Tabby on GitHub
github.com/Eugeny/tabby
Termius, MobaXterm, SecureCRT, SecureFX, PuTTY and Tabby are trademarks of their owners. Vaulterm is not affiliated with them.
Tell us if something has changed: [email protected]