Guide
SSH clients you can buy once, with no subscription
Last updated October 21, 2026
I built ZestSSH, which is on this list, so take that into account. Everything else here is someone else's product, with prices checked on their own pages.
Plenty of good SSH clients need no subscription. PuTTY, Tabby, Bitvise and ConnectBot are free. SecureCRT, MobaXterm Professional, Royal TS, Xshell and Prompt 3 can be bought once, though most include only a year of updates. ZestSSH is $9.99 once, with every update while it is offered, and covers Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux with that single purchase.
What does "one-time purchase" mean for an SSH client?
A perpetual license means the version you bought keeps working forever. It doesn't always mean free updates forever: many vendors include 12 months of updates and then charge for an upgrade to newer versions. That's fine for a stable tool, but worth knowing before you compare prices.
Which SSH clients can you buy once?
Prices and terms as of October 2026, from each vendor's own page.
| Client | Platforms | Price | Updates |
|---|---|---|---|
| SecureCRT VanDyke | Windows, macOS, Linux (one license) | $119 with 1 year of updates, or $190 with 3 | Keeps working forever; later updates need an upgrade ($48 for a year) |
| MobaXterm Professional Mobatek | Windows | $69 per user | Lifetime use, 12 months of updates |
| Royal TS / Royal TSX Royal Apps | Windows / macOS | €49 per app, €79 for both | Perpetual for the version bought, 1 year of maintenance |
| Xshell 8 NetSarang | Windows | $119 | Perpetual, 1 year of maintenance |
| Prompt 3 Panic | iPhone, iPad, Mac, Vision Pro | $49 one-time (or $9.99 a year) | No future charges; the FAQ doesn’t say whether future major versions are included |
| Secure ShellFish | iPhone, iPad, Mac | $29.99 lifetime Pro unlock (subscriptions also offered) | Lifetime unlock |
| ServerCat | iPhone, iPad, Mac | $18.99 lifetime Premium (or $5.99 a year) | Lifetime; the SSH terminal itself is a Premium feature |
| ZestSSH Affluent Labs | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux | Free tier; the full app for $9.99 once | Every update while we offer ZestSSH |
- SecureCRT is the long-standing professional choice on desktop, with one license covering all three desktop systems.
- MobaXterm Professional bundles an X server and a lot of Windows tooling around SSH.
- Royal TS manages many kinds of remote connection, not only SSH.
- Prompt 3, Secure ShellFish and ServerCat are polished options if you only use Apple devices.
Which SSH clients are free?
Licenses as of October 2026.
| Client | Platforms | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PuTTY | Windows, Unix | Open source (MIT). The long-time Windows standard. |
| OpenSSH (built in) | Windows 10/11, macOS, Linux | The ssh command. Windows 10 (1809+) and 11 include it as an optional feature. |
| Tabby | Windows, macOS, Linux | Open source (MIT) terminal with SSH. |
| Bitvise SSH Client | Windows | Free for any use, including in organizations. |
| ConnectBot | Android | Open source (Apache-2.0), on Google Play and F-Droid. |
| Termux | Android | Open source (GPLv3) Linux environment; install OpenSSH inside it. |
| MobaXterm Home | Windows | Free, but limited to 12 sessions and 2 tunnels, and not for company-wide deployment. |
| Xshell Free | Windows | Free for personal and educational use only. |
Some free clients you'll still find recommended haven't been updated in a long time: KiTTY's last release was in 2023, and WindTerm's in March 2025. For something that holds your server keys, prefer a client that still ships security fixes.
Which popular SSH clients are subscription-only?
As of October 2026.
- Termius: a free Starter tier; Pro is $10 a month billed annually, Team $20 and Business $30 a seat a month billed annually, with no one-time option (pricing). See ZestSSH vs Termius.
- Blink Shell: $19.99 a year (blink.sh). Its source code is GPL-licensed, so you can build it yourself for free.
- Core Shell: premium is sold as 1-year or 4-year terms, not a lifetime unlock (App Store).
Where does ZestSSH fit?
ZestSSH is for people who move between devices: an Android phone, an iPad and a Windows or Mac laptop, for example. One $9.99 purchase unlocks it on all of them, every update is included while we offer ZestSSH, and your hosts and keys sync between them, end-to-end encrypted. Sync is free to your own WebDAV, S3 or Google Drive storage (how that works). The free tier has no time limit, so you can try it properly first.
It isn't the best pick for everyone:
- Windows only, and you want free and open source? PuTTY or Bitvise. See ZestSSH vs PuTTY.
- Apple devices only? Prompt 3 and Secure ShellFish are excellent.
- A team that shares servers? ZestSSH has shared vaults, roles and live session views since 3.0, with a Team seat at $100 once. See ZestSSH for teams.
- Coming from JuiceSSH on Android? See ZestSSH vs JuiceSSH.
FAQ
Is there an SSH client with no subscription?
Yes, plenty. PuTTY, Tabby, Bitvise and ConnectBot are free; SecureCRT, MobaXterm Professional, Royal TS, Xshell, Prompt 3 and ZestSSH can be bought once. Most one-time licenses include only a year of updates, so check that before you buy.
Which one-time SSH client works on both phone and computer?
ZestSSH covers Android, iOS, Windows, macOS and Linux with one $9.99 purchase. Prompt 3, Secure ShellFish and ServerCat cover Apple devices only, and SecureCRT covers Windows, macOS and Linux but not phones.
Do one-time SSH licenses include future updates?
Often only for a while. SecureCRT, MobaXterm Professional, Royal TS and Xshell include 12 months of updates, and the software keeps working after that. ZestSSH includes every update it releases while it is offered, with no end date.