// PuTTY alternative · 2026

The best free PuTTY alternative for Windows in 2026.

Termax replaces PuTTY, PuTTYgen and WinSCP with a single modern app: real terminal with Telnet and serial console, integrated SFTP file manager, in-app SSH key generation and – if you want it – end-to-end encrypted sync with your phone. Free, no account required, actively developed, made in Germany.

Download for Windows.exe · Windows 10/11 · 102 MB Try in browserQuick Connect · no install

Free, sync included · no account needed · no AI reading along · made in Germany

Connects to any SSH server

  • Ubuntu
  • Debian
  • Raspberry Pi
  • Proxmox
  • Hetzner
  • IONOS
  • Contabo
  • DigitalOcean
  • AWS

// Termax vs PuTTY

Everything PuTTY does – plus what it's been missing for 20 years

PuTTY has been the default free SSH client on Windows since 1999 – reliable, but frozen in time. Termax gives you the same reliability with the features modern developers expect out of the box.

FeaturePuTTYTermax
SSH terminal (colour, mouse, keyboard)✓✓
Free & open to use✓✓
Telnet✓✓
Serial console (COM)✓✓
Modern UI (xterm.js, dark mode)×✓
Built-in SFTP file manager×✓
SSH key generation in-app (no PuTTYgen)×✓
Connection manager (searchable, groups)×✓
Automatic ~/.ssh/config import×✓
Snippets / saved commands×✓
Android version×✓
End-to-end encrypted sync (PC ↔ phone)×✓
Actively developed (2026)×✓
Credentials at rest via OS keystore×✓ DPAPI

PuTTY is still a solid choice for pure terminal use. For most modern workflows – where you also need to move files (SFTP), manage many hosts, or work on both desktop and mobile – Termax removes the need to juggle multiple tools. Until now, the serial console was often the reason to keep PuTTY installed anyway. That reason is gone: Termax speaks Telnet and opens COM ports (preset 9600 8N1) – on Windows, in the browser with Chrome or Edge, and on Android with a USB OTG adapter.

// Migration

Moving from PuTTY to Termax in five minutes

  • 01
    Install the Termax .exe. Standard Windows installer, ~102 MB. No account required.
  • 02
    Termax reads your ~/.ssh/config automatically. If you already use OpenSSH's config file (as most modern workflows do), your hosts appear in the connection list at first launch.
  • 03
    For registry-based PuTTY sessions, re-add them once. Termax stores them in an encrypted local vault (Windows DPAPI). This is the last time you'll type those settings.
  • 04
    Generate a new SSH key if you want – directly in Termax. ed25519 or RSA, one click, no ssh-keygen or PuTTYgen. The private key is encrypted at rest.
  • 05
    Optional: enable end-to-end encrypted sync. If you install Termax on Android too, your connections travel with you. The sync server only ever sees ciphertext (Argon2id + AES-256-GCM).

// Download

Try Termax now – it's free.

Windows installer directly here – no signup form, no marketing emails. Android via Google Play or as a direct APK.

Termax for Windows

.exe installer · Windows 10/11 (64-bit)

Download Windows installer

v0.8.3102 MB

Not yet code-signed: on the SmartScreen prompt click "More info" → "Run anyway".

// FAQ

Termax as a PuTTY alternative – common questions

Is Termax really a full PuTTY replacement?
Yes. Termax provides everything PuTTY offers – SSH terminal with colour, mouse and keyboard, host key verification, key-based authentication, port forwarding, Telnet and the serial console (COM) – and adds what PuTTY is missing: a built-in SFTP file manager, in-app SSH key generation (no PuTTYgen), automatic ~/.ssh/config import, saved connections in a connection manager, and an Android version.
Is Termax free like PuTTY?
Yes. Everything PuTTY does, and more, is free in Termax, with no ads and no telemetry by default. Optionally there is Termax Premium with dictation. Unlike PuTTY, it's actively developed with a modern UI and bundles features you'd otherwise download three separate tools for (PuTTY, PuTTYgen, WinSCP).
Can Termax import my PuTTY sessions?
Termax reads your standard ~/.ssh/config automatically on Windows, which is the OpenSSH format most modern setups use. PuTTY sessions are stored in the Windows registry in a proprietary format; you can either export them as OpenSSH config or re-enter them once in Termax – a one-time step because the connections are then permanently saved and (optionally) synced across devices.
Does Termax work on Windows 10 and Windows 11?
Yes, Termax runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11 (64-bit). The installer is a standard .exe; the app uses Windows DPAPI to encrypt your credentials at rest.
What about macOS and Linux?
Native macOS and Linux builds are on the roadmap. In the meantime you can use Termax right in your browser via Quick Connect on termax.app – a full terminal that works from any modern browser, no install required.
Is Termax open source?
Termax is freeware, not open source. Your credentials never leave the device unencrypted; the optional sync server stores only ciphertext (Argon2id + AES-256-GCM). If open-source is a hard requirement for you, PuTTY and OpenSSH remain great tools – Termax is aimed at users who want the modern UX and mobile parity without a subscription.
Is there a PuTTY for Android?
No official one. PuTTY ships for Windows and as Unix source code; it has never had an Android release. The apps you find in the Play Store under that name are unofficial third-party builds, most of them unmaintained - which matters more than usual for a program you hand your private keys to. Termax gives you the same job natively on Android, including the SFTP transfer you would otherwise need WinSCP for: see WinSCP and PuTTY on Android.
What is the best PuTTY alternative for Mac?
macOS already has OpenSSH built in, so for a plain connection the Terminal app plus ssh is usually all you need - PuTTY exists for Mac only as an awkward X11 build nobody should bother with. If you want saved connections and a graphical file browser, Termius and Royal TSX are the usual native picks. Termax has no native macOS app, but Quick Connect runs in your browser and needs no installation, which covers a borrowed or locked-down Mac.
What can I use instead of PuTTYgen to generate keys?
Termax generates ed25519 and RSA key pairs directly in the app, on Windows and on Android, and writes them in the standard OpenSSH format - so no conversion between PuTTY's .ppk and OpenSSH keys is needed at any point. On the command line, ssh-keygen -t ed25519 does the same thing. Either way you can skip PuTTYgen entirely.