An SSH client is a software program which uses the secure shell protocol to connect to a remote computer. This article compares a selection of notable clients.
General
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: small; text-align: center; width: auto;"
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! rowspan="2" | Name
! rowspan="2" | Developer
! rowspan="2" | Initial release
! rowspan="2" | Platform
! colspan="2" | Latest release
! rowspan="2" | License
! rowspan="2" | GUI
! rowspan="2" | TUI/CLI
|-
! Version <!-- stable version -->
! Date <!-- YYYY-MM-DD / ISO 8601 -->
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|| AbsoluteTelnet
| Celestial Software (Brian Pence)
| 1996
| Windows
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|| Bitvise SSH Client
| Bitvise Limited
| 2001
| Windows
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|| ConnectBot
| Kenny Root<br />Jeffrey Sharkey
| 2007-11
| Android
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| rowspan="9" | Dropbear
| rowspan="9" | Matt Johnston
| rowspan="9" | 2003-04-06
| AIX
| rowspan="9" |
| rowspan="9" |
| rowspan="9"
| rowspan="9"
| rowspan="9"
|-
| BSD
|-
| Cygwin
|-
| Linux
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| HP-UX
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| iOS
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| Maemo
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| macOS
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| Solaris
|-
| rowspan="13" | OpenSSH
| rowspan="13" | The OpenBSD project
| rowspan="13" | 1999-12-01
| AIX
| rowspan="13" |
| rowspan="13" |
| rowspan="13"
| rowspan="13"
| rowspan="13"
|-
| Android
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| BSD
|-
| Cygwin
|-
| Linux
|-
| HP-UX
|-
| iOS
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| Maemo
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| OpenVMS
|-
| macOS
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| Solaris
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| Windows
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| z/OS
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| rowspan="5" | PuTTY
| rowspan="5" | Simon Tatham
| rowspan="5" | 1999-01-22
| BSD
| rowspan="5" |
| rowspan="5" |
| rowspan="5"
| rowspan="5"
| rowspan="5" <!-- The command line tool is called "plink" and is bundled -->
|-
| Linux
|-
| macOS
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| Solaris
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| Windows
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| rowspan="4" | SecureCRT
| rowspan="4" | VanDyke Software
| rowspan="4" | 1998–06
| Linux
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| rowspan="4"
| rowspan="4"
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| macOS
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| iOS
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| Windows
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|| Tera Term
| TeraTerm Project
| 2004
| Windows
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|| TN3270 Plus
| SDI USA, Inc.
| 2006
| Windows
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| | WinSCP
| Martin Přikryl
| 2000
| Windows
| 6.3.3
| 2024-04-16
| GNU GPL
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|-
| rowspan="6" | wolfSSH
| rowspan="6" | wolfSSL
| rowspan="6" | 2016-07-20
| BSD
| rowspan="6" |
| rowspan="6" |
| rowspan="6"
| rowspan="6"
| rowspan="6"
|-
| Cygwin
|-
| Linux
|-
| macOS
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| Solaris
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| Windows
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| rowspan="3" | ZOC Terminal
| rowspan="3" | EmTec, Innovative Software
| rowspan="3" | 1995-07-01
| macOS
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| rowspan="3"
| rowspan="3"
| rowspan="3"
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| OS/2
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| Windows
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|}
Platform
The operating systems or virtual machines the SSH clients are designed to run on without emulation include several possibilities:
<!--* No indicates that it does not exist or was never released.-->
- Partial indicates that while it works, the client lacks important functionality compared to versions for other OSs but may still be under development.
<!--* Beta indicates that while a version is fully functional and has been released, it is still in development (e.g. for stability).
- Yes indicates that it has been officially released in a fully functional, stable version.
- Dropped indicates that while the client works, new versions are no longer being released for the indicated OS; the number in parentheses is the last known stable version which was officially released for that OS.
- Included indicates that the client comes pre-packaged with or has been integrated into the operating system.-->
The list is not exhaustive, but rather reflects the most common platforms today.
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under" style="font-size: smaller; text-align: center; width: auto;"
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! Name
! macOS
! Windows
! Cygwin
! BSD
! Linux
! Solaris
! OpenVMS
! z/OS
! AIX
! HP-UX
! iOS
! Android
! Maemo
! Windows Phone
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|| AbsoluteTelnet
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|| Bitvise SSH Client
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|| ConnectBot
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|| Dropbear
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|| lsh
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|| OpenSSH
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|| PuTTY
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|| SecureCRT
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|| SmartFTP
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|| Tera Term
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|| TN3270 Plus
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|| WinSCP
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|| wolfSSH
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|| ZOC Terminal
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|-class="sortbottom"
! Name
! macOS
! Windows
! Cygwin
! BSD
! Linux
! Solaris
! OpenVMS
! z/OS
! AIX
! HP-UX
! iOS
! Android
! Maemo
! Windows Phone
|}
Technical
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under" style="font-size: smaller; text-align: center; width: auto;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Name
! rowspan="2" | SSH1<br>(insecure)
! rowspan="2" | SSH2
! colspan="2" | Additional protocols <!-- telnet, rlogin -->
! colspan="3" | Port forwarding and Tunneling <!-- port forwarding, socks, tunneling -->
! rowspan="2" | Session<br />multiplexing<br />
! rowspan="2" | Kerberos
! rowspan="2" | IPv6
! rowspan="2" | Terminal
! rowspan="2" | SFTP/SCP
! rowspan="2" | Proxy client
|-
! TELNET
! rlogin
! Port<br />forwarding
! SOCKS<br />
! VPN<br />
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|| AbsoluteTelnet
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| Bitvise SSH Client
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| Dropbear
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| lsh
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| OpenSSH
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| PuTTY
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| SecureCRT
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|| SmartFTP
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| Tera Term
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| TN3270 Plus
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| <!-- proxy -->
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|| WinSCP
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| <!-- proxy -->
<!-- keeping this section disabled. Goto discussion to find out why its kept disabled |-->
<!-- re-enabling this section, unable to find reason in discussion why it was disabled |-->
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|| wolfSSH
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| <!-- proxy -->
<!-- keeping this section disabled. Goto discussion to find out why its kept disabled |-->
<!-- re-enabling this section, unable to find reason in discussion why it was disabled |-->
|-
|| ZOC Terminal
| <!-- SSH1 -->
| <!-- SSH2 -->
| <!-- Telnet -->
| <!-- Rlogin -->
| <!-- Port forwarding -->
| <!-- SOCKS -->
| <!-- VPN -->
| <!-- Session multiplexing -->
| <!-- Kerberos -->
| <!-- IPv6 -->
| <!-- terminal -->
| <!-- SFTP/SCP -->
| <!-- proxy -->
|-
! rowspan="2" | Name
! rowspan="2" | SSH1<br>(insecure)
! rowspan="2" | SSH2
! colspan="2" | Additional protocols <!-- telnet, rlogin -->
! colspan="3" | Tunneling <!-- port forwarding, socks, vpn -->
! rowspan="2" | Session<br />multiplexing<br />
! rowspan="2" | Kerberos
! rowspan="2" | IPv6
! rowspan="2" | Terminal
! rowspan="2" | SFTP/SCP
! rowspan="2" | Proxy client
|-
! TELNET
! rlogin
! Port<br />forwarding
! SOCKS<br />
! VPN<br />
|}
Features
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under"
! Name
! Keyboard mapping
!
!
!
!
!
! URL hyperlinking
!
!
! Hardware encryption
!
!
!
!
!
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|| AbsoluteTelnet
| <!-- keyboard remapping -->
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|<!-- Hardware encryption -->
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| Bitvise SSH Client
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|| OpenSSH
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| PuTTY
| <!-- keyboard remapping -->
| <!-- session tabs -->
| <!-- ZMODEM -->
| <!-- find text -->
| <!-- mouse -->
| <!-- Unicode -->
| <!-- URL hyperlinking -->
| <!-- Public key authentication -->
| <!-- smartcard -->
| <!-- Hardware encryption -->
| <!-- FIPS 140-2 validation -->
| <!-- Scripting -->
| <!-- Shared Database -->
| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| SecureCRT
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| SmartFTP
| <!-- keyboard remapping -->
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| Tera Term
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| TN3270 Plus
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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|| wolfSSH
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| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
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| | ZOC Terminal
| <!-- keyboard remapping -->
| <!-- session tabs -->
| <!-- ZMODEM -->
| <!-- find text -->
| <!-- mouse -->
| <!-- Unicode -->
| <!-- URL hyperlinking -->
| <!-- Public key authentication -->
| <!-- smartcard -->
| <!-- Hardware encryption -->
| <!-- FIPS 140-2 validation -->
| <!-- Scripting -->
| <!-- Shared Database -->
| <!-- Auto-reconnect -->
| <!-- CA-Certificates -->
|}
Authentication key algorithms
This table lists standard authentication key algorithms implemented by SSH clients. Some SSH implementations include both server and client implementations and support custom non-standard authentication algorithms not listed in this table.
{| class="wikitable sortable sort-under" style="font-size: smaller; text-align: center; width: auto;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Name
! rowspan="2" | ssh-dss
! rowspan="2" | ssh-rsa
! colspan="2" | RSA with SHA-2
! colspan="3" | ECDSA with SHA-2
! colspan="2" | EdDSA
! colspan="2" | Security keys
|-
! rsa-sha2-256
! rsa-sha2-512
! ecdsa-sha2-nistp256
! ecdsa-sha2-nistp384
! ecdsa-sha2-nistp521
! ssh-ed25519
! ssh-ed448
! sk-ecdsa-sha2-nistp256
! sk-ssh-ed25519
|-
|| AbsoluteTelnet
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|| Bitvise SSH Client
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
|
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|| Dropbear
|
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| ?
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|| lsh
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
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|| OpenSSH
|
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|| PuTTY
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|| SecureCRT
|
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| ?
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|| SmartFTP
|
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|| Tera Term
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
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|| TN3270 Plus
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
| ?
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|| WinSCP
|
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| ?
| ?
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|| wolfSSH
|
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|| ZOC Terminal
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