Xshell alternative for Mac, Linux and work use
Xshell runs on Windows only and its free licence is for home and school. A cross-platform Xshell alternative that is free at work, compared in detail.
On this page
Xshell at a glanceXshell vs Gatesys SSHWhere Gatesys SSH is differentWhere Xshell is the better choiceSwitching from XshellFAQSourcesXshell is a capable, tidy SSH terminal with a loyal following. Two things send its users looking for an Xshell alternative. The first is a new laptop: Xshell is a Windows program, and there is no Xshell for Mac or Linux. The second is the licence: the free version is for home and school, and using it at work means buying one.
We make Gatesys SSH. The details about Xshell below are from NetSarang’s own website, read on 12 October 2026.
Xshell at a glance
Xshell is NetSarang’s terminal emulator for Windows. Its product page describes an SSH terminal that also handles SFTP, Telnet and RDP sessions, with a tabbed window, a session manager, script recording, quick commands and triggers. File transfer with a graphical browser is a sister product, Xftp.
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Xshell | $119 for one user, with a year of maintenance |
| Xshell Plus (Xshell and Xftp) | $139 |
| Free licence | Home and school only |
NetSarang’s free licence page is direct about the last row: free licensing is for personal and educational use, non-commercial only, and business use is against its terms.
Xshell vs Gatesys SSH
| Xshell | Gatesys SSH | |
|---|---|---|
| Runs on | Windows | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Free for work | No. The free licence is non-commercial | Yes. The free plan has no such limit and needs no account |
| Paid plan | $119 a user; $139 with Xftp | Pro: 3 months free, then $20 a year |
| Tabs | Yes | A tab per host; more terminal tabs and split panes with Pro |
| File browser | Xftp, a separate product | Dual-pane SFTP, built in and free |
| Telnet and RDP sessions | Yes | No |
| Script recording | Yes | No; snippets and session recording |
| Diagnosis of a failed connect | An error message | Which hop broke and at which step, with a fix |
| Server health and forecasts | No | Yes, agentless, on the free plan |
| AI assistant | None listed | Farabi, on Pro, with your own model |
Where Gatesys SSH is different
One client on every desktop
Gatesys SSH is the same application on Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, on Windows for x64 and Arm64, and on Linux as an AppImage, .deb or .rpm. Hosts, jump chains and tunnels are described the same way on each. If you moved from a Windows PC to a MacBook and miss Xshell’s session list, this is the closest thing with a native build. See Install.
Free at work
The free plan is not a home edition. Use it on your employer’s servers, for as many hosts as you have, for as long as you like: SSH, SFTP, tunnels, jump chains, a keychain and an audit log. Pro is for the assistant and for more than one terminal in a session. See Plans.
The file browser shares the connection
Xshell hands file transfer to Xftp. In Gatesys SSH the SFTP pane rides the session the terminal already opened, so a host behind two bastions needs no second login. A save to a remote file waits in a review sheet until you approve the diff.
It reads the server, not only the screen
Each time you connect, the app reads a fixed list of read-only facts and shows what changed since your last visit: a failed unit, an upgraded package, a new listening port. Health forecasts a disk filling up and names the process that is eating a core. Nothing is installed on the server.
Dangerous commands are caught by rules
With Pro, the Farabi assistant suggests commands, and every one is rated on your computer before it can run: 167 rules, three levels, and a typed host name for something like rm -rf / on a production box. The rules and their tester are on the free plan too.
Where Xshell is the better choice
- You stay on Windows and like it. Xshell is a mature native Windows program with a long history.
- Telnet and RDP in the same window. Gatesys SSH speaks SSH only.
- Script recording and triggers. Xshell generates scripts from what you type and reacts to patterns in the output; Gatesys SSH has snippets and watches, which are simpler.
- A one-time purchase. $119 once may fit your budget better than a yearly plan.
- A signed Windows installer today. Gatesys SSH’s Windows installer is not code-signed yet, so SmartScreen asks you to confirm it. The macOS builds are signed and notarised.
Switching from Xshell
- Download Gatesys SSH for your system.
- For each Xshell session, paste the matching
sshline into the Hosts search box, such asssh -p 2223 deploy@10.0.3.4. It becomes a saved host. - If you already maintain an OpenSSH config, import the lot with File › Import from ~/.ssh/config….
- Use keys in OpenSSH format, or load them into your SSH agent. A key created in Xshell’s key manager can be exported from there first.
FAQ
Is there an Xshell for Mac?
No. Xshell is a Windows program. Gatesys SSH is a cross-platform alternative with native macOS builds for Apple Silicon and Intel.
Is Xshell free for commercial use?
No. NetSarang’s free licence covers personal and educational use only. At work you need a paid licence, listed at $119 a user.
Is Gatesys SSH free for commercial use?
Yes. The free plan is a full SSH client with no account, no time limit and no restriction to home use.
Does Gatesys SSH replace Xftp too?
For SFTP, yes: browsing, transfers, permissions and editing are built in. It does not speak plain FTP.
Sources
- NetSarang: Xshell and the free licence for home and school, read on 12 October 2026.
- Gatesys SSH: plans and install.
- More options in the best SSH clients in 2026.
