PuTTY

Last updated: September 15, 2026

Version Latest License Open Source OS Windows

Direct download from the publisher’s own server — no repacks, no bundled installers. By Simon Tatham. Report a broken link

PuTTY — PuTTY is the classic free SSH and telnet client for Windows: lightweight, reliable, and endlessly configurable.

PuTTY is the SSH client that generations of admins grew up on. It is tiny, rock-solid and covers SSH, telnet, serial and raw connections, with the companion tools PSCP, PSFTP, Plink, Pageant and PuTTYgen included in the installer.

Key features:

SSH-2 with modern key exchange and ciphers
Telnet, rlogin, serial and raw protocols
Session profiles, port forwarding, X11 forwarding
Pageant SSH agent and PuTTYgen key generator
Command-line file transfer with PSCP/PSFTP
Free, open source, no installation required

Frequently asked questions

Is PuTTY still maintained?

Yes, Simon Tatham still releases updates with modern key exchange and cipher support.

Where does PuTTY store sessions?

In the Windows registry. Export them via regedit or use the portable trick of a settings file wrapper if you need portability.

PuTTY or Windows' built-in OpenSSH?

The built-in ssh command covers quick connections. PuTTY adds saved sessions, serial console support, and the Pageant key agent.

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