PuTTY vs MobaXterm
A side-by-side of two tools in the same category. Facts come from each vendor's own pages, checked 2026-10-21.
| PuTTY | MobaXterm | |
|---|---|---|
| platforms | Windows | Windows |
| price | FreeFree (seen 2026-10-20); MIT licence permits commercial use at no charge | FreemiumHome Edition free (max 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels, 4 macros); Professional $69 / 49 EUR per user excl. tax, lifetime right to use with 12 months of updates, volume discounts (seen 2026-10-20) |
| source | Open source | Proprietary |
| SSH | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| SFTP | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Tabs | – no | ✓ yes |
| Split panes | – no | ✓ yes |
| Port forwarding | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Jump host | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| X11 | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Serial | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Telnet | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| Mosh | – no | ✓ yes |
| Cloud sync | ? not verified | ? not verified |
| Team sharing | ? not verified | ✓ yes |
| Scripting / API | ✓ yes | ✓ yes |
| AI agents | – no | – no |
| MCP | – no | – no |
| Phone control | ? not verified | – no |
| Mobile app | – no | – no |
MobaXterm is stronger at
- Embedded X server (Xorg-based) plus automatic X11 forwarding over SSH, with no separate X server to install
- Handles SSH, SFTP, Telnet, serial, Mosh, RDP and VNC session types in one tabbed window, with 2- and 4-terminal split modes and MultiExec
- Pro is a one-time $69 per user with lifetime use and 12 months of updates, not a subscription
PuTTY is stronger at
- Suite covers SFTP (psftp), SCP (pscp), command-line use (plink), key agent (Pageant) and key generation (PuTTYgen)
- Docs describe X11 forwarding, tunnels, a proxy command option and a serial panel
- MIT licence with official MSI installers and standalone executables for x86, x64 and Arm Windows
which to pick
- pick MobaXterm if
- Windows users who want SSH, X11 and SFTP in a single portable app, especially for occasional X applications.
- pick PuTTY if
- Windows users who want a small, long-established SSH/serial client plus command-line SFTP/SCP tools.
- skip MobaXterm if
- Mac or Linux users, or teams that need a hosted shared vault.
- skip PuTTY if
- Users who want tabs, split panes or a modern session manager inside one window, or an official macOS/Linux/mobile app.