Repolode
Submit
Eugeny

Eugeny/tabby

A highly configurable terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux.

Open-source alternative to:PuTTYiTerm2Windows Terminal

View on GitHubWebsite
Stars
75,036
Forks
4,295
Open issues
2,843
Last commit
yesterday

What is it?

Tabby is a terminal emulator that also works as an SSH, Telnet and serial client, running on Windows, macOS and Linux. It combines a connection manager for saved remote hosts with split panes, tabs, themes and fully configurable keyboard shortcuts in one window.

On Windows it supports PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash, Cygwin, MSYS2 and CMD shells. The SSH client covers port and X11 forwarding, automatic jump host handling, agent forwarding and login scripts, and files can be transferred over SSH sessions via Zmodem. A separate serial terminal offers saved connections, hex input and output, and automatic reconnection.

Tabby is extended through plugins and themes that can be installed from its Settings view. The project also offers an SSH, SFTP and Telnet client as a web app, which can be self-hosted.

Key features

  • 01Integrated SSH and Telnet client with a connection manager
  • 02Built-in serial terminal with hex input and hexdump output
  • 03Split panes, tabs and a dockable Quake-style console
  • 04Zmodem file transfer over SSH sessions
  • 05Support for PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash and other Windows shells
  • 06Plugin and theme system installable from the settings view

Use cases

  • Managing several remote servers over SSH from one window on Windows
  • Connecting to embedded devices or hardware over a serial port
  • Replacing PuTTY or the default Windows terminal with a tabbed, themed alternative

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the app from the latest releases page

  2. 2

    Install on Debian/Ubuntu from the packagecloud repository

Things to know

  • Not lightweight; the README suggests Conemu or Alacritty if RAM usage matters.

Topics

#terminal#ssh-client#telnet-client#serial#terminal-emulator#windows#cross-platform#terminal-emulators

FAQ

What is tabby?
A highly configurable terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. Tabby is a terminal emulator that also works as an SSH, Telnet and serial client, running on Windows, macOS and Linux. It combines a connection manager for saved remote hosts with split panes, tabs, themes and fully configurable keyboard shortcuts in one window.
Is tabby free to use? What license does it have?
tabby is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is tabby still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to tabby was on Oct 19, 2026.
What can I use tabby for?
Managing several remote servers over SSH from one window on Windows Connecting to embedded devices or hardware over a serial port Replacing PuTTY or the default Windows terminal with a tabbed, themed alternative
How do I install tabby?
Download the app from the latest releases page Install on Debian/Ubuntu from the packagecloud repository
Where can I get tabby?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Eugeny/tabby

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

Related projects