Compare software

OpenSSH vs PuTTY: catalog facts
OpenSSH	PuTTY
Free Free and open source under a BSD-style licence.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
macOS, Linux, Self-hosted, Command line	Windows, Linux, macOS
Complete client, server and key management suite Port forwarding and tunnelling built in	One small executable that runs without installation A full suite: PSCP and PSFTP for files, Plink for scripts, Pageant as a key agent
Command-line only with no graphical interface Configuration options take time to learn	The interface shows its age next to modern terminals There is no Mac port from the project; the Unix build is X11-based
Downloadable app, Self-hosted	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-style	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 20, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.