electerm

electerm combines a terminal emulator, graphical SFTP file manager, and remote connection tools in a free, open-source application under the MIT License. It supports SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC, and Spice sessions, with public-key or password authentication. Connection options include proxies, SSH tunneling, agent and port forwarding, X11 forwarding, and connection hopping. The SFTP manager lets users open remote files for editing. Its AI assistant supports OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses, and Anthropic Messages formats for generating commands and scripts, creating bookmarks, and explanations. Bookmarks, themes, and quick commands can sync through GitHub or Gitee secret gists, WebDAV, a custom server, or electerm cloud. Desktop versions support Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, and Linux across several listed processor architectures; mobile versions are available for Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS. The browser version works without installation and supports several remote protocols, but omits local terminal, serial-port, and web-page features. For electerm online, credentials are stored on the server and SSH connections are proxied through it; the site provides no security guarantees.

electerm brings remote sessions and file management into one open-source client, with builds across desktop and mobile systems. Its browser edition has feature omissions and a distinct security disclosure to consider.

electerm may suit users who want terminal access, remote file management, and multiple connection protocols in one application. Browser users should weigh the stated credential and connection handling before choosing the online version.

electerm is a free, open-source client for terminal work, remote connections and graphical file management. It suits people who need several connection protocols in one place, including SSH and SFTP across desktop and mobile systems. Its broad reach is compelling, but the browser edition brings security trade-offs that make the installed apps a better choice for sensitive connections.

Overview

electerm combines a terminal emulator, graphical SFTP file manager and remote-session client. It supports SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC and SPICE, which makes it useful for more than shell access alone. Workspaces organize sessions, and double-clicking a remote file opens it for editing through the SFTP manager. That combination can reduce the need to switch between separate connection and file-transfer tools.

The project is free software under the MIT License. Bookmarks, themes and quick commands can sync through GitHub or Gitee secret gists, WebDAV, a custom server or electerm cloud. The choice of several sync destinations is useful for varied setups, but means users should select a destination appropriate to their data-handling needs.

For more options in this category, see our SSH Clients list.

Key features

• Flexible SSH access: Password and public-key authentication are joined by proxies, SSH tunneling, agent forwarding, port forwarding, X11 forwarding and connection hopping. These tools give administrators and developers options for more involved connection paths without changing clients.
• Remote file work: The integrated SFTP manager supports editing remote files by double-clicking them. It is a practical advantage for users who routinely make small changes alongside terminal work, though the product's appeal is less distinct for people seeking only a dedicated transfer utility.
• AI assistance: The assistant supports OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses and Anthropic Messages formats for generating commands and scripts, creating bookmarks and explaining material. This offers several assistant integration formats, but does not replace the need to review generated commands before running them.
• Browser access: electerm online works in desktop and mobile browsers without installation and supports SSH, SFTP, RDP, VNC, SPICE, Telnet and FTP. It omits the local terminal, serial connections and web page features, so it is not a complete substitute for the installed client. More importantly, it stores connection credentials on the server and proxies SSH connections through it, while providing no security guarantees. That disclosure is a substantial reason to avoid the browser edition for sensitive access.

Pricing

electerm's Free plan costs nothing and includes the MIT-licensed terminal and file manager, with SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC and SPICE support. There is no paid tier or upgrade trade-off in the plan described: it is the full stated offering for readers who want these functions without a subscription. The plan covers the listed protocols, while browser use has the separate omissions and security concerns described above.

Platforms

Desktop builds support Windows 7 and later, macOS 10.15 and later, and Linux. Linux builds include x64, ARM64, ARMv7, LoongArch64, RISC-V and ppc64le variants. The project also provides Android, iOS and HarmonyOS versions, making it unusually broad in device coverage for users who want the same general client across desktop and mobile. Browser access is another option, but its limitations and credential handling make it a distinct, less suitable route for sensitive sessions. Official Debian/APT and RPM/YUM repositories are GPG-signed.

Who it's for

electerm is a strong fit for developers, administrators and other users who manage a mix of shell, file-transfer and remote-desktop connections and value an open-source client with desktop and mobile builds. Its forwarding and hopping options suit users whose SSH access involves more than a direct connection, while workspaces and sync options help keep saved items organized across setups. It is a poorer fit for people who only need a narrow transfer client, or for users who require security guarantees from a browser-based remote-access service.

Pros and cons

• Pro — Broad protocol coverage: SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC and SPICE can bring varied remote workflows into one client.
• Pro — Useful SSH controls: Public-key and password authentication plus forwarding, tunneling, proxy and hopping options address more involved connection needs.
• Pro — Free and MIT-licensed: The stated plan includes the terminal and file manager without a paid tier separating the listed protocols.
• Con — Browser security caveat: Credentials are stored server-side and SSH is proxied through the service, which provides no security guarantees; sensitive sessions are better kept off the browser version.
• Con — Browser feature gaps: No local terminal, serial connections or web page features means the online edition does not match the installed app's scope.

Alternatives

Termius is worth considering for readers who want a free SSH and SFTP option with a local vault, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding; its Pro plan is $10 a month when billed annually.

Royal TS may suit users who prefer a capped free starting point: its Lite plan allows up to 10 connections, 10 credentials and one document, while a single-user license costs €49 once.

Tabby is another free, open-source terminal option for Linux, macOS and Windows.

WindTerm is a free option for Linux, macOS and Windows that permits commercial and non-commercial use without limitations, though its source code is only partially open.

XPipe is an open-core alternative for Linux, macOS and Windows, with its application core under Apache License 2.0 and some paid features closed source.

WinSCP is a free, open-source Windows file-transfer client for SFTP, FTP, FTPS, SCP, WebDAV and S3.

MobaXterm is a Windows-only option whose Home Edition limits users to 12 sessions, two SSH tunnels, four macros and 360 seconds for TFTP, NFS and Cron; its Professional Edition costs $69 a year.

Bitvise SSH Client is a Windows alternative with a free SSH client license for use in all types of environments without limitation.

Verdict

Choose electerm if you want one free, MIT-licensed client for SSH and a wide range of other remote protocols, with file management and builds across desktop and mobile systems. Its breadth and forwarding options are the main reasons to choose it; the key reason to look elsewhere is the browser edition's server-stored credentials and proxied SSH, especially when handling sensitive connections.