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kingtoolbox/windterm

Analysis updated 2026-06-20

30,839CAudience · ops devopsComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

WindTerm is a free professional terminal app for securely connecting to and managing remote servers via SSH, with built-in file transfer, port forwarding, split-pane views, and session logging, on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((WindTerm))
    What it does
      SSH remote connections
      File transfer SFTP SCP
      Port forwarding
      Multi-session split view
    Protocols
      SSH
      Telnet
      Serial
      SFTP
    Features
      Integrated file manager
      tmux integration
      X11 forwarding
      Session logging
    Platforms
      Windows
      macOS
      Linux
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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Connect to a remote Linux server over SSH and manage its files using the integrated file manager without switching to a separate SFTP client

USE CASE 2

Route network traffic through an SSH tunnel using port forwarding to securely access a service running on a private machine

USE CASE 3

Run multiple terminal sessions side by side in split-pane view and keep sessions alive via the built-in tmux integration

What is it built with?

C

How does it compare?

kingtoolbox/windtermcfenollosa/os-tutorialcoolsnowwolf/lede
Stars30,83930,39531,428
LanguageCCC
Setup difficultyeasymoderatehard
Complexity2/54/54/5
Audienceops devopsdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min
Free for both personal and commercial use with no restrictions, source is partially open under the Apache 2.0 license.

In plain English

WindTerm is a professional terminal application for connecting to and managing remote computers. A terminal is a program that lets you type text commands and see text responses, it is the primary tool that developers, system administrators, and DevOps engineers use to control servers and other machines remotely. WindTerm supports several connection protocols. SSH (Secure Shell) is the most common way to securely log into a remote Linux or macOS server. Telnet and Serial are older connection methods still used in some networking hardware and embedded systems. SFTP and SCP are protocols for transferring files between machines. The app also integrates tmux, a tool that lets you keep terminal sessions running even after you disconnect. Beyond basic connectivity, WindTerm includes an integrated file manager for both local and remote files, port forwarding (a technique for routing network traffic securely through an SSH connection), X11 forwarding (for displaying graphical apps from a remote machine on your local screen), and support for various authentication methods including passwords and public-key cryptography. The interface runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux. It offers split views (multiple terminal panes side by side), auto-completion of commands, a command palette for quick access to features, synchronized input across multiple sessions, session logging, and customizable color themes. It is free for both personal and commercial use with no restrictions, and the source code is partially open under the Apache 2.0 license. Written in C, it is designed for high performance and low memory use.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
In WindTerm, how do I set up a jump host so I can SSH into a private server that is only reachable through a public bastion host?
Prompt 2
How do I configure port forwarding in WindTerm to access a remote database on port 5432 as if it were running on my local machine?
Prompt 3
I use WindTerm to manage remote servers. How do I use the SFTP pane to upload an entire local folder to a remote Linux server?

Frequently asked questions

What is windterm?

WindTerm is a free professional terminal app for securely connecting to and managing remote servers via SSH, with built-in file transfer, port forwarding, split-pane views, and session logging, on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

What language is windterm written in?

Mainly C. The stack also includes C.

What license does windterm use?

Free for both personal and commercial use with no restrictions, source is partially open under the Apache 2.0 license.

How hard is windterm to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is windterm for?

Mainly ops devops.

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