SSH is an integral tool you need to access servers, switches, and routers among other network systems. Here we present top 5 SSH clients for Mac OS X and Windows.
To initiate your SSH tunnel, simply open Mac OSX Terminal.app and connect to your remote server via SSH with the following flags: ssh -D 8080 -C -N [email protected] This will launch our SSH tunnel on port 8080 and route all traffic (securely) through the server at example.com. SSH Agent is a graphical front-end to some of the OpenSSH tools included with Mac OS X. Specifically, it allows you to start an ssh-agent, generate identities, and add identities to an agent.
Whether you are running Windows or Mac, SSH can easily be integrated into the system. The client program is primarily for logging in and executing commands from the credentials stage. SSH guarantees exclusive and safe access of data irrespective of your locations.
If you have the administrator privileges of accessing the server, you can view all other end user devices connected on the network and control their resources access. Also, end user devices can use advanced tools of SSH to gain exclusive access to a router hence manipulate system settings to suit personal needs.
SSH programs vary on size, features, and price. Also, some SSH clients are restricted to certain locations. However, most of the programs are available for free and you only have to pay for selected commercial features if you need them. The advanced and modern features for commercial use are often indicated and offered as a choice to users.
Before choosing an SSH client, you should first consider your OS. Some are compatible on all platforms while some are restricted.
Here is a selection of the best SSH clients for Windows and Mac:
Solar-PuTTY
If you need to run multiple sessions in one console, this is a great option for your network needs. The SSH client stores your credentials, which makes it possible to log in any time of the day irrespective of your location without need to enter your credentials. The automatic log in and access is irrespective of the number of times you log in.
Besides, the client gives you access to a rich history of your connections and any form of activity you might be interested in a specific network. It provides details of end user devices, resources requests and other details on devices on the same network. Whether it is on a router or server, multiple sessions are supported.
There is a quick search option for both Windows and Mac users.
Besides SSH services, the client offers support for SCP, Telnet, and SFTP TFP protocols.
One of the reasons for its popularity is the simple and friendly interface. It is easy to switch between tabs and run multiple sessions just like you do with a browser. Solar-PuTTY makes it possible to keep switching sessions without losing data or connection; also, you won’t have to log in afresh when you come back to previous session. The interface starts with a homepage that allows users to quickly select and access sessions. Saving credentials on the platform ensures quick launch of a connection through the SSH client.
Also, the ability to customize colors and organize sessions makes Solar-PuTTY popular.
PuTTY
The terminal program supports SSH client, SFTP, rlogin, and telnet on Windows. It is also an effective platform for grouping remote connections on Mac. The flexibility of its structure attributes to its wide use by network administrators.
Most administrators working with Unix system and VMware find this tool useful because of its quick and secure access lines. It can also function on routers and switches. Unlike other SSH clients, PuTTY saves more than user credentials; it stores session logging and session configuration settings. Each user has exclusive access to specific settings and history of use depending on settings and accorded privileges on the network. It also allows screen customization.
The SSH client can run on both 64 bit and 32 bit platforms.
The design is simple hence ease of use. User interface is customized to suit novices in the field as well as experts. The quick save component allows quick access even without your credentials in store.
PuTTY is considered the best for starter network administrators.
SecureCRT
The design of this client is traditional. The design may not match modern standards but there is no question on its effectiveness and efficiency. In fact, it is among the best SSH clients as a system administrator.
The commercial SSH client provides a simple user interface. There are no major enhancements like other products in this category. The focus of SecureCRT is exclusive access. It supports SSH2, TAPI protocol, SSH1, serial, Rlogin, and Telnet.
It does not require configurations, since access is simple as one click. Other features other than multiple session management include; line wrapping, color customization, paste confirmation, encryption enhancements, drag and drop sessions, as well as lists of resent sessions.
SecureCRT supports Linux, Mac & Windows.
MobaXterm
Just like most of SSH clients, MobaXterm supports FTP, SFTP, RDP, VNC, Telnet, and Rlogin. However, enhanced features of the tool make it popular for network managers.
The enhancements include plugin support, multi-execution, ssh tunnels, ssh gateway, text editor, and x server among other interesting features.
Also, the terminal allows enhancement of keywords with different colors on preferred syntax. Users are free to create their own syntax and define keywords with any color.
Openssh Client
The interface of MobaXterm has all the enhancements suitable for experts and advanced network management.
mRemoteNG
This SSH client supports multiple connections and all types of protocols. Raw sockets, VNC, and ICA are among the distinguishing protocol support features of this tool.
Users can open multiple tabs just like on a browser. Credentials can also be stored and session organized in a folder.
mRemoreNG is a basic and efficient SSH client.
Similar Posts:
- 4 Best Remote Desktop Connection Manager Reviews Switching between remote connection managers can be tedious, especially if you are consistently working on…
- ProtonVPN Review ProtonVPN is one of many successful products of ProtonMail, a renowned end-to-end encrypted email service.…
- How to Change NAT Type on PS4 and Xbox One If you are a person who is playing games on the gaming console, you will…
- EssayAssist.net: The Best Essay Writing Help Service When a student requires college essay writing help, the first thing that crosses their mind…
SSH is a multi-purpose protocol for secure system administration and file transfers. It is included in every Linux and Unix system. PuTTY is the most popular SSH Connection Clients, however, it is a very basic SSH Client.
Alternative 2020 Article ➤ 10 XAMPP Alternatives – Install WordPress On Windows And macOS Laptop
If you are searching for SSH with more features, here are some of the best and free SSH Clients for both Apple macOS and Microsoft Windows. Download away!
↓ 01 – Solar-PuTTY | Windows
Manage remote sessions in a professional way. Connect to any server or device in your network with Solar-PuTTY for Windows.
- Manage multiple sessions from one console with a tabbed interface
- Save credentials or private keys to any session for easy login
- Automate all scripts you’re using when connection is established
- Find your saved session easily thanks to Windows Search integration
↓ 02 – OpenSSH | Windows | macOS | Linux
OpenSSH is a free version of the SSH connectivity tools that technical users rely on. OpenSSH encrypts all traffic (including passwords) to effectively eliminate eavesdropping, connection hijacking, and other attacks. Additionally, OpenSSH provides secure tunneling capabilities and several authentication methods, and supports all SSH protocol versions. The OpenSSH suite consists of the following tools:
- Remote operations are done using ssh, scp, and sftp.
- Key management with ssh-add, ssh-keysign, ssh-keyscan, and ssh-keygen.
- The service side consists of sshd, sftp-server, and ssh-agent.
- Strong cryptography (AES, ChaCha20, RSA, ECDSA, Ed25519…) – Encryption is started before authentication, and no passwords or other information is transmitted in the clear. Encryption is also used to protect against spoofed packets. A number of different ciphers and key types are available, and legacy options are usually phased out in a reasonable amount of time.
- Strong authentication (public keys, one-time passwords) – Strong authentication protects against several security problems: IP spoofing, fakes routes and DNS spoofing. Some authentication methods include public key authentication, one-time passwords with s/key and authentication using Kerberos (only in -portable).
Openssh Server Mac Os X
↓ 03 – MobaXterm Home Edition | Windows
Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more. MobaXterm is your ultimate toolbox for remote computing. In a single Windows application, it provides loads of functions that are tailored for programmers, webmasters, IT administrators and pretty much all users who need to handle their remote jobs in a more simple fashion.
- Full X server and SSH support
- Remote desktop (RDP, VNC, Xdmcp)
- Remote terminal (SSH, telnet, rlogin, Mosh)
- X11-Forwarding
- Automatic SFTP browser
↓ 04 – KiTTY | Windows
KiTTY is an opensource terminal emulator, forked from Small PuTTY iconPuTTY , that adds many extra features to the original software. Some of these extra features are automatic password, automatic command, running a locally saved script on a remote session, ZModem integration and more.
↓ 05 – mRemoteNG | Windows
mRemoteNG is a fork of mRemote: an open source, tabbed, multi-protocol, remote connections manager. mRemoteNG adds bug fixes and new features to mRemote. It allows you to view all of your remote connections in a simple yet powerful tabbed interface. mRemoteNG supports the following protocols:
- RDP (Remote Desktop/Terminal Server)
- VNC (Virtual Network Computing)
- ICA (Citrix Independent Computing Architecture)
- SSH (Secure Shell)
- Telnet (TELecommunication NETwork)
- HTTP/HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol)
- rlogin
- Raw Socket Connections
↓ 06 – Hyper | Windows | macOS | Linux
Hyper is a beautiful and extensible, cross-platform terminal built on open web standards. It provides an elegant command-line experience that is consistent across all supported platforms which includes macOS, Windows and various Linux distributions like Fedora and Debian.
The goal of the project is to create a beautiful and extensible experience for command-line interface users, built on open web standards. In the beginning, our focus will be primarily around speed, stability and the development of the correct API for extension authors.
↓ 07 – Bitvise SSH Client | Windows
SSH client supports all desktop and server versions of Windows, 32-bit and 64-bit, from Windows XP SP3 and Windows Server 2003, up to the most recent – Windows 10 and Windows Server 2016. As for encryption, it provides state-of-the-art encryption and security measures suitable as part of a standards-compliant solution meeting the requirements of PCI, HIPAA, or FIPS 140-2 validation.
- one of the most advanced graphical SFTP clients
- State-of-the-art terminal emulation with support for the bvterm, xterm, and vt100 protocols
- Support for corporation-wide single sign-on using SSPI (GSSAPI) Kerberos 5 and NTLM user authentication, as well as Kerberos 5 host authentication
- Support for RSA and DSA public key authentication with comprehensive user keypair management
- Powerful SSH port forwarding capabilities, including dynamic forwarding through integrated SOCKS and HTTP CONNECT proxy
- Powerful command-line parameters which make the SSH client highly customizable and suitable for use in specific situations and controlled environments
- An advanced, scriptable command-line SFTP client (sftpc)
↓ 08 – Termius Basic | Windows | macOS | Linux
Termius is more than a mere SSH client – it’s a complete command-line solution that’s redefining remote access for sysadmins and network engineers. Securely access Linux or IoT devices and quickly fix issues from the comfort of your couch via laptop or phone.