Connect-rs

What Connect-rs is

Connect-rs is a native Linux desktop app for managing SSH, RDP, VNC, Telnet, SFTP, and local connections in a tabbed window. Its SSH terminal supports VT100 and ANSI, 24-bit colour, scrollback, and broadcasting across tabs. Native RDP offers RemoteFX, NLA/CredSSP, fullscreen, pop-out windows, and direct mouse and keyboard routing. A dual-pane SFTP browser handles recursive transfers and synchronization with a diff preview, while SSH sessions can use local, remote, and dynamic SOCKS forwards. The app can import Royal TS, PuTTY, WinSCP, CSV, and Ansible inventories.

Connections, credentials, audit log, and settings stay on the user's machine; the app has no account, sync, or cloud service. Credentials are encrypted at rest, and application data is not sent to a Connect-rs server. Pro installations send an approximately seven-day heartbeat with licence and device details, excluding saved connections, keystrokes, and audit events. Free keeps all features unlocked and permits five saved non-template connections. Pro costs $39 per user per year for unlimited saved connections. Both plans include email support, and Pro supports offline activation.

Who it suits

Connect-rs suits Linux users who manage remote systems across several protocols and want terminal, file transfer, and forwarding tools together. It also fits users who prefer local storage and need to import connection data from supported tools or formats.

Limits

Free allows up to five saved non-template connections; templates, Quick connections, and tabs do not count. All features remain unlocked on Free. Pro provides unlimited saved connections for $39 per user per year.

Getting started

1. Visit https://connectrs.app/.
2. Choose the Linux download for x86_64 or ARM64, or use the Debian package for Debian 12+ and Ubuntu 22.04+.
3. Start with the Free plan or choose Pro, billed annually per user.
4. Create connections or import Royal TS, PuTTY, WinSCP, CSV, or Ansible inventories.
5. For Pro offline activation, create a request blob on a connected machine and paste back the signed blob.

Verdict

Choose Connect-rs if you want a Linux connection manager that combines multiple protocols, SFTP, SSH forwarding, and imports in one app. Free retains all features but limits saved non-template connections to five; Pro removes that limit for $39 per user per year. Look elsewhere if you need a native desktop app for a platform other than Linux.