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PuTTY

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PuTTY – free SSH client for Windows (small, fast, and reliable)

PuTTY is a lightweight SSH and Telnet client for Windows that provides secure terminal access to servers. It launches in a split second, uses minimal resources, and ships with a handy toolkit (PuTTYgen, Pageant, PSCP, PSFTP, and Plink) covering everything from keys to file transfers and automation. That makes it ideal for developers, students, and sysadmins who want to log in, run commands, and streamline workflows without hassle.

What can PuTTY do?

  • Supports SSH, Telnet, Serial, and Raw connections
  • Rock-solid xterm emulation and granular control over encryption, keepalives, timeouts, and more
  • PuTTYgen to create SSH keys, Pageant as the SSH agent, PSCP/PSFTP for file transfers, and Plink for scripts/CI
  • Works both installed and as a portable ZIP — perfect for a USB stick or a jump host
  • Runs on modern Windows (x86-64/ARM64/32-bit)

Getting started

  1. Launch PuTTY and fill in Host Name with the IP or domain.
  2. Select SSH and port 22 (or the port your server uses).
  3. Click Open, accept the server’s fingerprint, and log in with username/password or keys.
  4. Save the connection as a Session (e.g., “prod-api” or “dev-db”) so you can reopen it with one click.

Keys and security (PuTTYgen & Pageant)

  • Create a key in PuTTYgen (ed25519 or RSA), store the private key safely, and copy the public key to ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on the server.
  • Run Pageant at startup and load your keys once—PuTTY/PSCP/PSFTP can then log in without a password.
  • Enable keepalives to avoid idle disconnects, and use logging when troubleshooting.

Performance, compatibility, and alternatives

PuTTY is known for stability and low RAM usage. If you want tabs and a fully graphical SFTP client in the same window, there are alternatives—but for pure, reliable terminal access, PuTTY remains one of the safest choices on Windows.

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths: Lightning-fast launch, rock-solid stability, zero bloat, portable, strong key management, and great tools for file transfer/automation.
Weaknesses: Spartan UI, no built-in tabs, and first-time key setup can confuse new users.

Top 5 PuTTY tips

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Reviewer’s rating with pros and cons, and user ratings

★★★★★

PuTTY is blazing fast, stable, and does one thing brilliantly: the SSH terminal. It lacks modern conveniences like tabs and a built-in GUI SFTP, but for classic, rock-solid remote access it’s still one of the best choices.

Pros

✅ Very lightweight and extremely stable
✅ Free, open source, and MIT-licensed
✅ Full toolkit: PuTTYgen, Pageant, PSCP/PSFTP, Plink
✅ Runs both installed and “portable”
✅ Supports tunneling, keepalives, and extensive logging

Cons

❌ No built-in tabs
❌ No graphical SFTP client
❌ UI feels dated to new users
❌ Initial key setup confuses some users

Supported operating systems

PuTTY is primarily developed for Windows, but support is broader than many expect:

  • Windows:

    • 64-bit (x86-64)

    • 32-bit (x86)

    • ARM64 (Windows on ARM)

    • Can be installed via MSI, run as a ZIP (portable), or downloaded from the Microsoft Store.

 

  • Unix/Linux/BSD:
    Although PuTTY was originally made for Windows, there is also a Unix version (including source code that can be compiled on Linux, BSD, and macOS). On most Linux distributions, an OpenSSH client is already included by default, so PuTTY is used less often here.

 

  • macOS:
    A macOS port exists (e.g., via Homebrew: brew install putty), but again it’s mostly relevant if you want the same experience as on Windows, since macOS already includes OpenSSH in Terminal.

 

  • Older Windows versions:
    PuTTY is known to run on very old Windows editions (all the way back to Windows 95/98/NT), but the latest release is primarily optimized for Windows 10 and 11.

User Rating

★★★★★