Best SSH Clients in 2026
Updated
In short: WinSCP is ranked #1 of 34 as of 4 October 2026, ahead of electerm and Termius. The best-ranked option with a free plan is electerm. The lowest first paid tier on this page is XPipe at $3.33/mo.
For connecting to remote systems, an SSH client’s protocols and platform support are a practical place to compare options. Session management, port forwarding and SFTP support cover other aspects of connection workflows, while team session sharing may matter when people need to work together. WinSCP, electerm and Termius are among the entries, with Royal TS and XPipe also listed. Compare free-plan availability and paid-from pricing alongside supported protocols and platforms, then weigh the session and transfer capabilities against the way you work.
34 SSH clients ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
12 of the 25 here have a free tier you can use, 1 has open-source code on record, and 0 have full bars: free, open, on most of your devices and documented.
| # | App | Signal | Free tier | Open code | Devices | From | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | WinSCPWindows | Three bars | 1 of 6 | Free | 7.8 | ||
| 2 | electermWeb · Windows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone · Self-hosted | Three bars | — | 6 of 6 | Free | 6.7 | |
| 3 | TermiusWindows · Mac · Linux · Android · iPhone | Three bars | — | 5 of 6 | $10/mo | 6.7 | |
| 4 | Royal TSWindows · Mac · Android · iPhone · Extension | Three bars | — | 4 of 6 | Free | 6.6 | |
| 5 | XPipeWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | $3.33/mo | 6.6 | |
| 6 | SecurSSHWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | €9/mo | 6.5 | |
| 7 | TabbyWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 8 | WindTermWindows · Mac · Linux | Three bars | — | 3 of 6 | Free | 6.5 | |
| 9 | Ásbrú Connection ManagerWindows · Linux | Two bars | — | 2 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 10 | Bitvise SSH ClientWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 11 | MobaXtermWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 12 | XftpWindows | Two bars | — | 1 of 6 | Free | 6.4 | |
| 13 | ageduWeb · Linux | One bar | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.4 |
| 14 | BastWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 15 | Core ShellMac · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 16 | FinalShellWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | CNY 4.08/mo | 5.3 |
| 17 | OpenSSHWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 18 | Secure ShellFishMac · iPhone | No signal | — | — | 2 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 19 | TermoraWindows · Mac · Linux | One bar | — | — | 3 of 6 | — | 5.3 |
| 20 | Blink ShelliPhone | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 21 | ConnectBotAndroid | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 22 | KiTTYWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 23 | mRemoteNGWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 24 | SmarTTYWindows | No signal | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
| 25 | SolarWinds Free SFTP/SCP ServerWindows | One bar | — | — | 1 of 6 | — | 5.2 |
Is your app on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which SSH client is ranked first on Freedom251?
WinSCP is ranked #1 of 34 with a score of 7.8. electerm is second and Termius third.
How many of these have a free plan?
12 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
Which is the cheapest paid option?
On this page, XPipe has the lowest first paid tier we found: $3.33/mo.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked free-and-open first: a usable free tier and open-source code, then the platforms it runs on and its documentation. Paid placements never change a rank.