Upgrade from PuTTY to SSH Desktop
Leave single-window taskbar clutter in 1999. Get GPU-accelerated multi-tab terminal sessions, integrated drag-and-drop SFTP, and 1-click PuTTY session importing on Windows.
PuTTY vs SSH Desktop: What's the Difference?
Why system administrators and cloud engineers are replacing legacy PuTTY with SSH Desktop.
| Feature & Capability | SSH Desktop (2026) | Classic PuTTY (v0.8x) |
|---|---|---|
| Tabbed Interface & Split Panes | ✓ Built-in GPU tabs & 4-way split panes | ✗ Separate OS window per connection |
| Integrated SFTP / SCP File Manager | ✓ Dual-pane visual file transfer & editor | ✗ Requires WinSCP or separate PSFTP CLI |
| SSH Key Support | ✓ Native Ed25519, RSA, PPK v2/v3, FIDO2 | ⚠ Requires separate PuTTYgen & Pageant |
| Visual Port Forwarding & Tunnels | ✓ Point-and-click Local/Remote/SOCKS5 | ⚠ Complex manual text config |
| Hardware Token / Biometrics | ✓ Windows Hello & YubiKey FIDO2 NFC | ✗ No native biometric unlock |
| Session Organization & Search | ✓ Folders, Tags, Color-coding & Fuzzy Search | ✗ Flat registry list without search |
| Automated Package Installation | ✓ Official Winget, Choco & Portable ZIP | ✓ MSI / Standalone EXE |
How to Migrate Your PuTTY Sessions to SSH Desktop
You don't have to re-enter a single hostname, port, or SSH key.
Launch Migration Wizard
When you install SSH Desktop on Windows, it automatically queries the Windows Registry key HKCU\Software\SimonTatham\PuTTY\Sessions for saved profiles.
Auto-Convert .PPK Keys
SSH Desktop reads your PuTTY Private Key files (.ppk) and generates OpenSSH-compatible key pairs securely stored inside the Windows Credential Vault.
Connect with Multi-Tabs
All your servers appear in an organized sidebar. Double-click any host to open a tabbed SSH connection with GPU-rendered typography.
PuTTY Migration Questions
Yes. Installing SSH Desktop will never alter, overwrite, or delete your existing PuTTY installation or registry settings. Both clients can run side-by-side with zero conflicts.
Yes! We offer an official Portable Standalone (.zip) build for Windows. It stores all configs in a local directory, requires zero administrator rights, and runs directly from any thumb drive.