Our verdict: Xshell is a polished SSH terminal for Windows with session management, tabs and automation that PuTTY lacks. The free license has no ads and is meant for personal and educational use only. Businesses must buy a license, and there are no macOS or Linux versions.
About Xshell
Xshell from NetSarang connects to remote hosts over SSH, SFTP, Telnet and other protocols, and it can also open RDP sessions in the same tabbed window. A session manager, tab manager and file manager sit in dockable panels, and authentication profiles let you reuse one set of credentials across many sessions.
NetSarang offers a free license for home and school use: no ads, but it may only be used for non-commercial purposes under the free EULA. Companies need a paid license, which NetSarang lists at $119 per user as a perpetual license with one year of updates and support. A 30-day evaluation of the commercial edition is available separately.
What it does well
- Tabbed sessions. Opens many SSH, Telnet and RDP sessions in tabs within one window.
- Session manager. Organizes saved hosts in folders with per-session settings.
- Quick commands. Buttons for frequent commands and triggers that react to terminal output.
- Compose pane. Drafts multi-line input and sends it to one or several sessions.
- Script recording. Generates scripts from your terminal input and output.
Who it is for
Good fit
Students and home users who manage Linux servers, routers or Raspberry Pi boards from Windows.
Look elsewhere
Anyone using it for work without a license, and users who need macOS or Linux support.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free for home and school, no ads
- Strong session and tab management
- SSH, Telnet and RDP in one window
- Automation with quick commands and triggers
Cons
- Free license forbids commercial use
- Windows only
- Commercial license costs $119 per user
How to install Xshell
Download the free home and school edition from netsarang.com; the installer needs no product key. Xftp, the matching SFTP client, is a separate free download. Import hosts from PuTTY or other clients through the session manager.
Questions about Xshell
Is Xshell free?
Yes, for home and school use. The free license is for personal and educational purposes only; commercial use needs a paid license.
Does Xshell include SFTP file transfer?
It has a file manager panel for remote hosts; NetSarang's dedicated SFTP and FTP client is Xftp, which is also free for home and school use.
Can I use free Xshell at work?
No. NetSarang's free EULA forbids business use; buy a commercial license or use a free open-source client.
