Xshell

Free plan Windows

What Xshell is

Xshell is a Windows terminal application for connecting to remote systems and organizing sessions. It supports SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, Telnet, Rlogin, serial, and RDP, with port forwarding and SFTP file transfer. Session, quick command, tab, and file managers help manage remote hosts, while multiple tabs and tab groups can be kept in one window. Users can create command buttons, trigger actions from terminal patterns, enter multiline input, and generate scripts from terminal input and output. Scripting supports VB, JScript, and Python. Authentication profiles store variables that can be applied to one or more sessions, with changes reflected in dependent sessions. Listed security capabilities include public-key, password, and keyboard-interactive authentication, plus multiple encryption algorithms and master-password encryption for saved passwords. Xshell interoperates with Xmanager, Xagent, and Xftp. The free license is limited to personal, home, and educational use and cannot be used commercially. Paid perpetual licenses start at $119.00 USD once; a 30-day evaluation is also offered. The listed systems include Windows 10/11 and Windows Server versions.

Who it suits

Xshell suits engineers and other users who manage remote servers from supported Windows systems and need its listed protocols and session tools. The free license is for personal, home, and educational use, not commercial work.

What it does well

Supports SSH, SFTP, Telnet, RDP, and serial connections.
Multiple tabs and tab groups organize sessions.
Includes scripting in VB, JScript, and Python.
Paid license includes one year of updates and support.
30-day evaluation requires no credit card.

What to know first

Free license prohibits commercial use.
The listed platform is Windows.
Paid Xshell license costs $119.00 USD once.

Limits

The free license permits personal, home, and educational use only and prohibits commercial use. The Xshell paid plan is a single-user perpetual license usable on up to two devices, with one year of maintenance included.

Plans

Plan	Billed and limits	Price
Free license	Personal, home, and educational use only · Non-commercial use	Free
Xshell	Single user · Perpetual license; 1 year of maintenance included · Xshell license — single user · 1 year free updates & support · Use on up to 2 devices	$119, paid once
Xshell Plus	Single user · Perpetual license; 1 year of maintenance included · Xshell + Xftp	$139, paid once
Xmanager Power Suite	Single user · Perpetual license; 1 year of maintenance included · Xmanager · Xshell · Xftp · Xlpd	$399, paid once

As xshell.com lists them, read 8 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

Open the Xshell website
Choose the free license or begin the 30-day evaluation
Download the signed installer for Windows 8 or later
Install Xshell on Windows 10, Windows 11, or a supported Windows Server version
Create or import sessions and configure authentication profiles

Verdict

Xshell offers a broad set of connection protocols alongside session organization and scripting tools for Windows users. Commercial users need a paid license; the listed Xshell license costs $119.00 USD once.

Questions

What protocols does Xshell support?

It supports SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, Telnet, Rlogin, serial, and RDP, plus port forwarding.

Is there a free version?

Yes. The free license costs nothing and is for personal, home, and educational use only.

How much is the paid Xshell license?

Xshell costs 119.00 USD once for a single-user perpetual license. One year of maintenance, updates, and support is included.

What platforms are supported?

Supported systems include Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2012, 2016, 2019, and 2022.

Does Xshell have a trial?

A 30-day evaluation is available without a credit card.

Can it work with other NetSarang products?

Xshell interoperates with Xmanager for X11 forwarding, Xagent for agent authentication and forwarding, and Xftp for file transfers.

Facts from Xshell's own pages

Authentication profiles: Authentication profiles let users save auth variables and apply them to one or many sessions, with profile changes reflected in dependent sessions. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Founded: 1997 · xshell.com, 28 Sept 2026
Free-license restriction: The free Xshell license is authorized for personal and educational use only, and its terms prohibit commercial use. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Integrations: Xshell interoperates with Xmanager for X11 forwarding, Xagent for agent authentication and forwarding, and Xftp for file transfers. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Intended audience: NetSarang describes its products as tools for engineers and for accessing and managing remote servers. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Offline activation: The maker describes license activation on machines without internet using a request file and a one-time offline response key. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Privacy: NetSarang says it does not sell collected information to third parties and says paid licenses are excluded from analytics and lead-generation uses listed in its privacy policy. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Protocols: Xshell lists support for SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, Telnet, Rlogin, serial, and RDP protocols. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Purpose: Xshell is an SSH terminal with protocols including SFTP, Telnet, and RDP, plus tools for managing sessions. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Security features: Listed security capabilities include public-key, password, and keyboard-interactive authentication; SSH PKCS#11 and CAPI; multiple encryption algorithms; and master-password encryption for saved passwords. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Session management: It includes session, quick command, tab, and file managers for organizing remote hosts. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Support: One year of updates and technical support is included with the listed perpetual licenses as maintenance. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Supported systems: The download page offers a signed installer for Windows 8 and later, and the feature page lists Windows 10/11 and Windows Server versions. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Terminal features: The product supports multiple tabs and tab groups in one window, plus scripting in VB, JScript, and Python. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Trial: The maker offers a 30-day evaluation with no credit card required. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026
Workflow tools: Users can create command buttons, trigger actions from terminal patterns, compose multiline input, and generate scripts from terminal I/O. · xshell.com, 8 Oct 2026

Where Xshell stands on Freedom251

SSH Clients#24 of 33