| Client | Price | Host list | Credentials | Sync | SFTP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal + OpenSSH | Free, built in | ~/.ssh/config | Key passphrases in Keychain | No | sftp, scp (CLI) |
| iTerm2 | Free | Profiles, uses ~/.ssh/config | No | No | No |
| Ghostty | Free, open source | No | No | No | No |
| Termius | Free · Pro $10/mo (annual) | Yes | Local vault; cloud vault on Pro | Pro | Yes |
| Royal TSX | €49 per user | Yes, in documents | Per document | You sync the files | Via plugin |
| SecureCRT | From about $119 per seat | Yes | Local | No | SecureFX, sold separately |
| Tabby | Free, open source | Yes | Built-in vault | Self-hosted or plugin | Yes |
| Warp | Free · Build $20/mo | No | No host vault | Settings | No |
| Electerm | Free, open source | Yes | Encrypted, see advisory | Yes | Yes |
| termique | Free (3 hosts) · Pro $5/mo | Yes | E2EE, Touch ID unlock | Yes, iPhone too | Yes |
Every Mac ships OpenSSH. ssh, scp and sftp work in Terminal with no install, and a few lines in ~/.ssh/config give each server a short name. macOS can also keep your key passphrases in the Keychain with ssh-add --apple-use-keychain.
If you connect to a few servers with keys, from one Mac, this is the setup to beat. A dedicated client starts to pay off when the list grows, when some hosts use passwords, or when you want the same hosts on another computer or your phone.
Both make the terminal itself better. Neither keeps a list of hosts or stores passwords, so most people pair them with ~/.ssh/config.
The long-standing favourite terminal on the Mac: split panes, triggers, tmux integration and a decade of polish. It is a terminal emulator, not an SSH manager, so your hosts stay in ~/.ssh/config.
A fast, newer terminal with a native macOS app built in Swift and AppKit, also on Linux. Like iTerm2 it renders the session; it doesn't keep hosts or passwords for you.
Saved hosts, stored credentials and, depending on the plan, sync. Each one is strongest for a different kind of team.
The most established SSH client with apps on every platform. The free Starter plan includes SSH, SFTP and a local vault on one device; Pro adds the cloud vault and sync, Team adds shared vaults at $20 per seat.
A multi-protocol connection manager: SSH next to RDP, VNC and web consoles in one window. Connections live in document files that you share or sync yourself. The Windows version, Royal TS, is a separate product.
The enterprise choice, with deep scripting in Python and VBScript and FIPS-validated cryptography. SFTP comes in a second product, SecureFX.
Useful if you also work on Windows or Linux and want the same tool everywhere.
An open-source terminal with SSH profiles, SFTP, a built-in encrypted vault and a plugin system. Config sync needs a server you host or a plugin. It runs on Electron.
An AI-first terminal built around command blocks and agents. Good for local work; it isn't an SSH manager and keeps no encrypted host vault.
A free multi-protocol client: SSH, SFTP, Telnet, serial, RDP and VNC, with sync and bring-your-own-key AI. Read its published advisory on credential encryption before you store passwords in it.
Weigh this one accordingly: we build it.
A native SSH client for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs with a host list, SFTP, SSH keys, port forwarding and an AI assistant. Passwords and private keys are encrypted on your Mac and sync to your other machines and your iPhone only as ciphertext; unlock with Touch ID. Host details such as names and addresses sync as plain metadata.
Yes. macOS ships OpenSSH, so ssh, scp and sftp work in Terminal with no install. Add hosts to ~/.ssh/config, and macOS can keep your key passphrases in the Keychain with ssh-add --apple-use-keychain.
Several. Terminal with OpenSSH, iTerm2, Ghostty, Tabby and Electerm are free. Termius and termique have free plans: Termius Starter keeps hosts on one device, termique's free plan syncs up to three hosts between devices.
Termius and termique both have iPhone apps that share your host list with the Mac. Termius syncs from its $10/month Pro plan; termique syncs on every plan, with passwords and keys end-to-end encrypted.
Not for a handful of servers: iTerm2 plus ~/.ssh/config works well. A client starts paying off when you have many hosts, passwords instead of keys, or want the same hosts on another computer or your phone.