Learn about the world's most trusted SSH client and remote access tool
PuTTY is a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console and network file transfer application. It supports several network protocols, including SCP, SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw socket connection.
Originally written for Microsoft Windows, PuTTY is now also available for various Unix-like platforms, with work-in-progress ports to Classic Mac OS and macOS.
PuTTY was originally written by Simon Tatham and is currently developed and supported by a team of volunteers.
PuTTY was first released in 1999 by Simon Tatham. The name "PuTTY" has no official meaning, though "tty" is a reference to the terminal concept in Unix-like systems.
The software was created to provide a free alternative to commercial SSH clients for Windows users. Over the years, it has become the de facto standard SSH client for Windows.
PuTTY is written in C and has been ported to multiple platforms while maintaining its lightweight footprint and ease of use.
PuTTY is distributed under the MIT License, making it completely free to use, modify, and distribute. This ensures that PuTTY remains accessible to everyone.
The source code is publicly available and welcomes contributions from developers worldwide.
PuTTY continues to be actively maintained and updated with security patches, bug fixes, and new features based on user feedback.
Regular releases ensure compatibility with modern systems and security standards.
Industry-standard encryption and security protocols protect your connections.
Completely free software with no licensing fees or restrictions.
Small footprint and fast performance on all supported platforms.
Extensive configuration options to customize your experience.
Available for Windows, Linux, macOS, and other platforms.
Used by millions of professionals and organizations worldwide.
Download PuTTY for your platform and start making secure remote connections today.
This website (puttyclient.org) is an independent information resource about PuTTY. For the official PuTTY website, documentation, and downloads, please visitthe official site maintained by Simon Tatham.