WinSCP is an excellent free GUI client for sFTP (Secure FTP) protocol on Windows, however the same is not available on Apple Mac OS X platform. Also, there are not many free frontend clients for OpenSSH's sftp/scp protocls on Apple Mac OS X, from the very limited options 'Fugu SSH' takes the crown for being the best. A utility such as SecureCRT, for Windows computers only, has these features and more and is truly a superior SSH client. So I am hoping that other Mac users out there have the same requirements that I do, and have found a good utility somewhere that can fill this gap. Mac OS X also ships with OpenSSH, which can be started with ssh at the command line (from Terminal, iTerm, XTerm, whatever), which is pretty much the best SSH client. Share| improve this answer answered May 18 '10 at 2:28.
Hi folks, Being a recent 'switcher', I am finding myself scrambling to find replacements for the fav tools I used before. My newest frustration is finding a good replacement for SecureCRT for the Mac. I need an SSH client that will save logon info for my most common servers that I SSH to, as well as keep the session alive during the times I have to step away from the desk. I have been using the SSH command line utility built into OSX but if I have to ignore an SSH session for five minutes while I attend to other matters, then the connection is dropped and I have to re-establish it. Any suggestions? TIA, Zeeple.
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You don't need one. Just open a console window a use ssh from the command line.
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Originally posted by Emin You don't need one. Just open a console window a use ssh from the command line.
Thanks for the reply. But, as mentioned in the previous post, I currently use the SSH utility via command line and I find it lacking in the features I want. It has no keepalive. Thus if I have to walk away from the computer for a bit when I return, whatever I was connected to is now dropped, and I have to re-establich the SSH session. Pain in the rear. A utility such as SecureCRT, for Windows computers only, has these features and more and is truly a superior SSH client. So I am hoping that other Mac users out there have the same requirements that I do, and have found a good utility somewhere that can fill this gap. Thanks!
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Tried ssh -o TCPKeepAlive ?
I would be interested in finding out a better SSH client than Terminal. At the moment, I click-hold on the Terminal icon in the dock and click 'Connect to server...'. Slightly easier than using the command line method.
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Originally posted by Emin Tried ssh -o TCPKeepAlive ?
No!! I have not tried that. However, I am trying right now. Thanks again for the prompt response!
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Originally posted by Zeeple I need an SSH client that will save logon info for my most common servers that I SSH to
You can use a command alias or a simple script to save the login command for each of your favorite servers, if re-typing the commands gets too complicated. In its simplest form, this just means typing the command into a text file and making the file executable. OpenSSH is a pretty decent SSH client, and the BSD environment that surrounds it offers a rich variety of ways to streamline your workflow. If I had to guess, I'd say the lack of 'sophisticated' GUI SSH clients for OS X is because the power-users that would use them prefer to leverage the CLI instead.
Yeah, I haven't found a GUI ssh client I like as much as the command line. Color me geeky. Ditto to the above comments about making a quick shell script that just fires off the appropriate username/password, but that's a slight security risk, keeping your passwords in plain text like that. I set up secure keys between all my ssh2 connections, but you might not have that option.
Well, I think I would like to use the command line too, if only I can iron out these few wrinkles and make it quicker and easier to connect to my servers. TCPKeepAlive: I have tried this option but it is not working for me. I have tried it via command line as such: ssh -o TCPKeepAlive=yes server.domain.com as well as placing it in /etc/ssh_config under 'Host *' But either way, the session is still dropped after a bit of inactivity. Alias: I have also put a few aliases in /etc/profile that allow me to reduce this: ssh -l barney -o TCPKeepAlive=yes host.domain.com to this: host but this still leaves me needing to enter the password everytime. (I know a petty grievance) which is more typing than I'd like to have to do. Is there no way to pass that via config files or command line? Thanks! Zeeple
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Originally posted by Zeeple ...the session is still dropped after a bit of inactivity.
I understand, that with other ssh clients (especially the one you wrote about) your sessions do stay open? In other words - is this an issue only from your Mac?
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but this still leaves me needing to enter the password everytime. (I know a petty grievance) which is more typing than I'd like to have to do. Is there no way to pass that via config files or command line?
It is possible to establish trust through host keys as well as authenticate through a personal ssh key. This second method is probably better. You would have to create a key with ssh-keygen, place it on the hosts in appropriate files etc, then use ssh-agent to keep it for you while your OS X session is open allowing password-less login onto other hosts. However, I actually think that having to enter a password when logging in is a good thing. A little inconvenience that actually improves security.
Yep, this is only a problem when I use the Mac. But I think it is not an inherent difference in Operating Systems so much as it was a feature of a really good SSH client that *happened* to be written for Windows. This is the client, btw, that I am referring to: http://www.vandyke.com/products/securecrt/
Except that I've never seen that problem on my Mac... my guess is that it happens to be something about the ssh server on the other end.
JellyfiSSH is a simple bookmark manager for connecting to *NIX boxes like BSD/Linux etc via Telnet or SSH 1 or 2. You can set preferences for each bookmark including the terminal colours, fonts, window size, transparency and default login. Version 4 introduces grouping which allows you to collect similar bookmarks into groups for better management - especially for large numbers of bookmarks.
Secure Shell, SSH for short, is a network protocol which is used to connect to Linux, UNIX servers, network equipment and any other SSH protocol supported devices over the network. We can use SSH protocol in Linux and Mac but Windows does not have a native SSH client since it is based on DOS. If you want to connect to a remote server through SSH protocol, then PuTTY is the best SSH client for Windows 10, 8.1 and Windows 7. Even then, PuTTY does not have many features its alternatives provide. So this article is to list down the best SSH clients and best free and paid PuTTY alternatives for Windows 8.1 and 10.
We have earlier mentioned a few alternatives for Evernote (note-taking apps). If you are in the networking field and doing SSH and telnet tasks on a daily basis with Fortigate firewall devices, then you can check our guides about Fortigate network device here.
Alternatives for PuTTY, 10 Best SSH Clients for Windows 10, 8.1
1) PuTTY Tray
PuTTY Tray is a free, open-source and the best SSH client alternative for PuTTY for Windows 8.1 and 10. PuTTY Tray is based on PuTTY and extends the functionalities of through add-ons to make the user experience much better than the original PuTTY. PuTTY Tray has the following features:
● Can be minimized to the system tray. ● Customizable icons and windows transparency. ● Session configurations can be stored as files for portability. ● Always On Top setting for easy access.
2) KiTTY
KiTTY is a very simple alternative for PuTTY SSH client for Windows 8.1 and 10. KiTTY is simply a fork of the original PuTTY and has all the features with and adds some. KiTTY’s user interface is much the same as PuTTY’s, so it is very familiar and easy to learn. Some of the features included in KiTTY are:
● Shortcuts for pre-defined commands. ● Automatic password entry. ● Running a locally saved script on a session. ● Storing a script to local storage for portability. ● A different icon for every session.
3) SuperPuTTY
SuperPuTTY is a very popular SSH alternative client for Windows Operating System to connect network devices over the network. SuperPuTTY, like other PuTTY clients, tries to improve what PuTTY already does but it needs a PuTTY installation on the system on which SuperPuTTY is intended to be used. SuperPuTTY allows multiple tabbed sessions included file transfers between the remote server and local storage. Following are some of the features included in SuperPuTTY:
● Export or import session configuration for portability. ● Customizable layouts for session views. ● Supports SSH, Telnet, and RAW protocols. ● Multiple sessions can be docked on the screen to allow easy workspace management. ● Upload files to a remote server securely using SCP or SFTP protocols.
4) Bitvise SSH client
Bitvise SSH client is a good free alternative for PuTTY as SSH client for Windows 8.1 and 10 if you want to automate a connection to SSH servers. Bitvise is free for personal use and paid for commercial use. Bitvise SSH client provides claims to have an advanced graphical interface for SFTP clients and terminal emulators.
5) MobaXterm
MobaXterm is the most positively received and widely regarded alternative for PuTTY for Windows 8.1 and 10, it has both free and paid versions. It is targeted for all types of users like programmers, webmasters, IT administrators or anyone who wants to manage a system remotely. MobaXterm is most popular for having a lot of features and support for plugins to extend those features. MobaXterm has no ads in both free and paid versions. Following are some of the features in MobaXterm:
● You can use UNIX commands in Windows. ● Support for a long list of protocols like SSH, FTP, and SFTP. ● Tabbed SSH sessions. ● GUI text editor. ● Portable version is also available.
6) SmarTTY
SmarTTY is the most popular, free, widely used and complete alternative for PuTTY for Windows 8.1 and 10. SmarTTY is updated regularly by its developers. SmarTTY is also known for combining several features in other PuTTY alternatives into one application. Some features include:
● Multiple tabs inside one SSH session. ● Transfer files and complete directories to and from a remote server. ● Edit files on the remote server. ● Ability to run graphical applications through built-in Xming addon.
7) FireSSH Addon for Firefox and Chrome
The FireSSH addon for Firefox and Chrome is the best SSH client if you don’t want to install a separate SSH client or if you don’t have administrative rights on the Windows 8.1 or Windows 10 PC you are using. FireSSH is written in JavaScript and is platform independent because it is available as an add-on for both Firefox and Chrome browsers which are easily available for Windows, Linux, and Mac. Through FireSSH, you will be able to remotely connect to a remote SSH server through your browser and you will be able to open multiple SSH sessions in separate tabs. FireSSH is available in the add-ons page of Firefox and the Web Store in Chrome.
8) Terminals
Terminals is one of those SSH clients with a polished user interface for making use of tabbed SSH sessions. Terminals is open-sourced and combine many features which are included in both free and paid SSH clients mentioned in this article. Following are the features included in Terminals:
● Session screenshot capture. ● SSH session connection history. ● Support for multiple protocols like Windows RDP, SSH, Telnet, FTP, SFTP. ● Network tools like Ping, DNS tools, Wake On LAN, etc. ● Multi-tab interface. ● Use the current terminal in fullscreen.
9) mRemoteNG
mRemoteNG is the best open-sourced best system administration tool with multiple protocols support. It can work as one of the best alternatives to PuTTY for Windows 8.1 and 10. mRemoteNG’s main focus is to provide support for multiple protocols and the best user interface for an SSH client under one software. mRemoteNG has support for tabbed sessions. Some of the different protocols supported by mRemoteNG are:
Dameware SSH client is a really nice alternative to PuTTY on Windows environment if you are looking for an SSH client with an easy to use and polished interface. Dameware has an easy to use the console and allows multiple Telnet and SSH connections in multiple tabs. Some useful features of Dameware:
Best Ssh Client For Macbook
● Save favorite session configurations to your Windows PC. ● Access remote servers using multiple saved credentials. ● Manage multiple Telnet or SSH sessions with multiple tabs.
Free Ssh Client For Mac
We included some of the top 10 best SSH clients for Windows 8.1 and 10 in this list. You can use them as alternatives for PuTTY as well. This was to help you know which different SSH clients you can choose from if you either want to use something other than PuTTY or you are new to handling remote servers through SSH clients in Windows. In the end, it will be a matter of personal preference to choose whichever SSH client you want to use.