PuTTY
The free SSH, Telnet and serial client for Windows admins.
Open source Desktop download
- Platforms
- Windows/macOS/Linux
- Licence
- Open source — MIT
- Price
- Free
- Category
- Network & diagnostics
- Updated
- 2026-11-05
What it is
PuTTY is a free SSH, Telnet, Rlogin and serial client. It is the baseline tool for connecting securely from Windows to servers and network gear, and for administering Linux hosts, routers and switches.
Problems it removes
- You need to SSH to Linux servers and network gear from a Windows machine.
- A switch or router needs serial console access during setup or recovery.
How administrators use it
- Save a session per host with its keys and settings for one-click connect.
- Use it for SSH, Telnet and serial connections to network devices.
- Pair it with WinSCP for file transfer and PuTTYgen for key management.
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
- Free, tiny and reliable.
- SSH, Telnet and serial in one tool.
- Ubiquitous and well understood.
Trade-offs
- Basic UI with no tabs — use a connection manager for that.
- Windows-centric heritage.
Common questions
Windows has built-in SSH now — why PuTTY?
OpenSSH on the command line works, but PuTTY adds saved sessions, serial access and a GUI many admins prefer.
Can it store SSH keys?
Yes — generate and use keys with PuTTYgen and .ppk files.