Alternatives to Tabby

A terminal, SSH client and serial console in one window, with a connection manager and an encrypted secret store. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Tabby.

  • WindTerm

    A fast SSH, SFTP, telnet, serial and tmux client for Windows, macOS and Linux, free for commercial use.

    FreeProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    WindTerm is a native SSH, SFTP, telnet, serial and tmux client that starts faster than Electron terminals, though it is only partly open source.

  • Electerm

    Manage terminal and remote-file connections in one application.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Electerm is an MIT-licensed app for Windows, macOS and Linux that manages terminal and SFTP connections together, with protocol support varying by platform.

  • MobaXterm

    A Windows remote-computing toolbox: tabbed SSH, an X11 server, RDP, VNC, FTP and Unix commands in one portable executable.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindows

    MobaXterm is a closed-source freemium Windows toolbox adding an X11 server, RDP, VNC and a graphical SFTP browser, with the free edition capping saved sessions.

  • Wave Terminal

    A terminal with file previews, a remote file editor, web browsing and AI assistance arranged as blocks in one window.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Wave Terminal is an Apache-2.0 Electron terminal with SSH sessions that reconnect, a remote file editor and inline previews arranged as blocks rather than tabs.

  • WezTerm

    A GPU-accelerated terminal that is also a multiplexer, configured in Lua and the same on every platform.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    WezTerm is a native GPU terminal with built-in multiplexing including remote SSH hosts and Lua configuration, but no serial console or encrypted secret store.

  • PuTTY

    The small, stubbornly reliable SSH and Telnet client that has been on every Windows admin’s desktop for twenty-five years.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsLinuxmacOS

    PuTTY is a small MIT-licensed SSH and Telnet client with PSCP, PSFTP and Pageant, using far less memory but with an older interface and no tabs.

  • Tera Term

    Long-running Windows terminal emulator for SSH, Telnet and serial connections.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tera Term is an open-source Windows terminal for SSH, Telnet and serial with a macro language, lacking tabs and cross-platform builds.

  • Termius

    A cross-platform SSH client for desktop and mobile that syncs hosts, keys and snippets between devices.

    FreemiumProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinuxAndroidiOS

    Termius is a proprietary freemium SSH client that adds Android and iOS apps and syncs hosts, keys and snippets through the vendor's service, without serial support listed.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Tabby as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • C-Kermit

    A scriptable command-line program for serial and network connections, terminal sessions and file transfer.

    FreeOpen sourceCommand line

    Tabby combines local shells, SSH, Telnet and serial connections with Zmodem transfer in a graphical app for Windows, macOS and Linux, though Electron makes it heavier.

  • Cmder

    Carry a configured Windows console environment between machines.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tabby runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and adds SSH, serial connections and tab completion via Clink, though as an Electron app it uses more memory.

  • ConEmu

    Keep several Windows console sessions in a tabbed window.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tabby adds SSH, Telnet and serial connections alongside local shells and runs on macOS and Linux too, but Electron makes its startup and memory use heavier.

  • Deepin Terminal

    A Qt terminal emulator from the Deepin desktop with workspaces, remote server management and quake mode.

    FreeOpen sourceLinux

    Tabby adds a connection manager for SSH, Telnet and serial with an encrypted secret store across Windows, macOS and Linux, using Electron instead of Qt.

  • Extraterm

    An open-source terminal emulator that frames command output and adds tools for working with it.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Tabby provides local shells plus SSH, Telnet and serial with a connection manager and encrypted secrets, but no command output framing and Electron overhead.

  • Hyper

    A terminal built on web technologies, extended with JavaScript plugins and themed with CSS.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Tabby is another cross-platform Electron terminal that adds SSH, Telnet, serial connections and an encrypted secret store, though its plugin ecosystem is small.

  • iTerm2

    macOS terminal replacement with split panes, search and session restore.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOS

    Tabby combines local shells, SSH and serial connections with an encrypted secret store on all desktop platforms, but uses Electron and has occasional rendering glitches.

  • KiTTY

    A PuTTY fork for Windows that adds session filtering, automatic login scripts and portability.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tabby runs on Windows, macOS and Linux with SSH, serial, a connection manager and an encrypted secret store, but Electron makes it heavier than KiTTY.

  • Mintty

    A terminal emulator for Cygwin, MSYS2 and WSL on Windows with thorough xterm compatibility.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tabby is an Electron terminal that adds SSH, Telnet and serial connections and Clink-based tab completion on Windows, with higher memory use.

  • SecureCRT

    A commercial SSH and Telnet client with session management and scripting for Windows, macOS and Linux.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOSLinux

    Tabby is a free MIT-licensed Electron terminal with SSH, Telnet, serial, a connection manager and an encrypted secret store, using more memory than native clients.

  • Solar-PuTTY

    A free tabbed SSH, Telnet, SCP and SFTP session manager for Windows, built on PuTTY.

    FreeProprietaryWindows

    Tabby is an open-source MIT-licensed Electron terminal for Windows, macOS and Linux with SSH, Telnet, serial and an encrypted secret store, using more memory than native apps.

  • Warp

    Rust terminal with block-based output, AI assistance and shared workflows.

    FreemiumOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinux

    Tabby is a free MIT-licensed Electron terminal that combines local shells, SSH, Telnet and serial connections with an encrypted secret store, without AI features.

  • Windows Terminal

    Microsoft’s tabbed terminal for Windows, hosting Command Prompt, PowerShell and WSL in one GPU-rendered window.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tabby is an Electron terminal that adds SSH, Telnet and serial connections plus an encrypted secret store, using more memory than a native terminal.

  • WSLtty

    A Windows terminal for Windows Subsystem for Linux based on mintty and wslbridge2.

    FreeOpen sourceWindows

    Tabby is an Electron terminal with tabs, SSH, serial and an encrypted secret store, heavier on memory than the mintty-based WSLtty.

  • Xshell

    A tabbed SSH, Telnet and serial terminal client for Windows from NetSarang.

    PaidProprietaryWindows

    Tabby is a free MIT-licensed terminal for Windows, macOS and Linux with SSH, Telnet, serial and an encrypted secret store, but it is Electron-based.

  • ZOC Terminal

    A commercial SSH, Telnet and serial terminal emulator for Windows and macOS.

    PaidProprietaryWindowsmacOS

    Tabby is a free MIT-licensed terminal with SSH, Telnet and serial connections plus an encrypted secret store, built on Electron and heavier on memory.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.