PuTTY alternative: when to move on, and to what
PuTTY still works, but it has no tabs, no file browser and no jump-host manager. What a modern PuTTY alternative adds, and how to bring your keys with you.
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What PuTTY is, and is notPuTTY vs Gatesys SSHWhat a modern client addsWhere PuTTY is still the right toolBring your keys and sessions acrossFAQSourcesPuTTY has been the first SSH client on Windows for a quarter of a century, and it is still maintained: version 0.85 came out in August 2026 as a security release. It is small, free and dependable. It is also much the same program it was in 2005. If you are looking for a PuTTY alternative, the reason is rarely that PuTTY broke. It is that the work around it grew.
We make Gatesys SSH. This page says what PuTTY still does best, what a newer client adds, and how to move without regenerating your keys.
What PuTTY is, and is not
PuTTY is a free, open-source terminal for SSH, Telnet and serial lines. It comes with companions: PuTTYgen makes keys, Pageant holds them, PSCP and PSFTP copy files from a command line, and Plink runs commands in scripts.
What it leaves to you:
- One window per session. There are no tabs and no split panes.
- No file browser. File transfer is a separate command-line tool, or a separate program such as WinSCP.
- Jump hosts by hand. A bastion is a proxy setting on each saved session.
- Its own key format. PuTTY reads
.ppkfiles, where OpenSSH and most other tools use the OpenSSH format. - Sessions in the registry. Saved sessions live in the Windows registry, which makes them awkward to back up or carry to another machine.
None of that is a defect. PuTTY is a terminal emulator and it stops there.
PuTTY vs Gatesys SSH
| PuTTY | Gatesys SSH | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free, open source | Free plan with no account; Pro is $20 a year after 3 free months |
| Runs on | Windows, with a Unix source build | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Sessions | One window each | A tab per host; more terminal tabs and split panes with Pro |
| File transfer | PSCP and PSFTP on the command line | Dual-pane SFTP browser with drag and drop |
| Jump hosts | A proxy setting per session | Chains of any depth, imported from ProxyJump |
| Port forwarding | A list in each session’s settings | Tunnel cards you switch on and off, each tested when it starts |
| Keys | .ppk, through Pageant | OpenSSH keys, the SSH agent, Pageant on Windows |
| Serial and Telnet | Yes | No |
| When a connect fails | A dialog with the error | Which hop broke and at which step, with a fix |
What a modern client adds
Everything for a host over one connection
In Gatesys SSH the terminal, the SFTP browser, the tunnels and the live metrics for a host all ride one SSH session. You log in once, through the jump chain once, and the file browser opens in the folder you are working in.
Jump chains you can see
Each host shows its route, such as edge-bastion → inner-bastion → db-primary. A chain is dialled the way OpenSSH’s ProxyJump does it, so the bastion needs nothing but SSH forwarding. See Jump hosts.
Errors that say what to do
PuTTY’s Network error: Connection refused tells you something failed. Hop Doctor says which hop failed, at which of five steps, what the server offered, and which field of the host to change. It reads the attempt that already failed and never logs in again, so it cannot push you over the server’s MaxAuthTries.
Host keys you are warned about
Gatesys SSH stores each server’s SHA256 fingerprint on first trust and stops with both fingerprints on screen if the key ever changes. See Host keys.
Health, and help when you want it
The free plan reads CPU, memory, disk and load over the session and turns them into signals and forecasts, such as a disk that fills in about three hours. With Pro, the Farabi assistant answers questions about the host from measured facts, using a model you choose.
Where PuTTY is still the right tool
- Serial consoles and Telnet. Routers, switches and embedded boards on a COM port are PuTTY’s home ground. Gatesys SSH speaks SSH only.
- A locked-down or tiny machine. PuTTY is a single small executable that needs no installer.
- Open source as a requirement. PuTTY’s source is public under the MIT licence. Gatesys SSH is closed source.
- Scripts built on Plink. If your automation calls
plink.exe, nothing here replaces it.
Plenty of administrators keep PuTTY for the serial port and use something else for everything over SSH.
Bring your keys and sessions across
Keys
If your keys sit in Pageant, you are already done: on Windows, Gatesys SSH uses the agent named by SSH_AUTH_SOCK, then the Windows OpenSSH agent, then Pageant. Turn on SSH agent for the host and connect.
To use a key file directly, convert the .ppk to OpenSSH format once:
- Open PuTTYgen and load the
.ppkfile. - Choose Conversions › Export OpenSSH key (force new file format).
- Save it as, for example,
C:\Users\you\.ssh\id_ed25519.
Or on a command line with the Unix puttygen:
puttygen mykey.ppk -O private-openssh-new -o ~/.ssh/id_ed25519The public half on your servers does not change, so nothing on the server needs touching.
Sessions
PuTTY’s sessions are registry entries, not an ssh config. The quick way across is to paste a line per host into the Hosts search box in Gatesys SSH:
ssh -p 2223 deploy@10.0.3.4
ssh -J edge-bastion deploy@db-primary.internalEach becomes a saved host, with its jump host if it has one. If you also keep an OpenSSH config, File › Import from ~/.ssh/config… reads it in one go.
FAQ
Is PuTTY still safe to use in 2026?
Yes, if you keep it up to date. PuTTY 0.85, released on 16 August 2026, fixed five vulnerabilities, so an older copy should be replaced. Download it only from the official site.
What is the best free PuTTY alternative for Windows?
It depends on what you miss. For tabs, a file browser, jump chains and health signals in one app, Gatesys SSH’s free plan needs no account. For an open-source terminal with tabs, look at Tabby. For X11 and RDP as well, MobaXterm Home Edition. The SSH client roundup compares them.
Can Gatesys SSH use my PuTTY .ppk key?
Use it through Pageant, which Gatesys SSH reads on Windows, or export it to OpenSSH format with PuTTYgen as shown above.
Does Gatesys SSH replace WinSCP as well?
For browsing, transferring and editing files over SFTP, yes: the dual-pane browser is part of the free plan. It does not speak FTP, SCP-only servers or WebDAV, and it has no scripting interface.
Sources
- The PuTTY website and the 0.85 release announcement of 16 August 2026.
- Gatesys SSH: authentication, first connection and plans.
