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yaog6700-bit/swell-ssh

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

24C#Audience · developerComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A free open source Windows native SSH client with tabbed sessions, password or key authentication, and GPU accelerated terminal rendering.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((SwellSSH))
    What it does
      Tabbed SSH sessions
      Password and key auth
      Themed terminal
    Tech stack
      C#
      WinUI 3
      .NET 10
    Use cases
      Server management
      Multiple connections
      Custom themes
    Audience
      Developers
      Sysadmins

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Manage several remote servers at once through tabbed SSH sessions on Windows.

USE CASE 2

Connect to servers with password or public key authentication stored securely via Windows DPAPI.

USE CASE 3

Customize the terminal look with built in themes like Dracula, Nord, and Catppuccin Mocha.

What is it built with?

C#WinUI 3.NET 10

How does it compare?

yaog6700-bit/swell-sshkkongry0819/6657upupdelitriuz/forza-language-switcher
Stars242423
LanguageC#C#C#
Setup difficultyeasyeasyeasy
Complexity2/52/51/5
Audiencedevelopergeneralgeneral

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

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

Ships as a single EXE with no installer needed, download the ZIP for your CPU architecture and run it.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

SwellSSH is a free, open-source SSH client for Windows 10 and Windows 11. SSH (Secure Shell) is a standard way to log into remote computers and servers over a network using an encrypted connection. Most developers and system administrators use it to manage servers without a physical display attached. SwellSSH gives that experience a modern Windows-native look and feel, built with Microsoft's WinUI 3 framework and GPU-accelerated rendering so the terminal window stays fast and smooth even with heavy output. The app supports both password and public-key authentication. Passwords are stored using Windows DPAPI, a built-in Windows encryption system that ties the stored data to your user account, meaning the credential files can be backed up safely but cannot be decrypted by anyone else on the machine. You can open multiple SSH sessions at once, each in its own tab, and organize connections into named groups so large server inventories stay manageable. The terminal itself handles the standard ANSI escape sequences that command-line programs use to display color, bold text, and cursor positioning. It keeps a scrollback history of 1000 lines by default, and you can copy text by dragging with the left mouse button and paste with a right-click. There are three cursor styles (block, underline, and vertical bar), eight built-in color themes including popular options like Dracula, Nord, and Catppuccin Mocha, and a Mica or Acrylic translucent window background that follows the Windows system theme. SwellSSH ships as a single EXE with no installer required: download the ZIP for your CPU architecture (x64 or ARM64), unzip it anywhere, and run the executable. A built-in updater checks for new releases and can apply them silently. When you close the window, the app can minimize to the system tray instead of disconnecting, keeping background sessions alive. The project is MIT-licensed and runs on .NET 10. It is currently Windows-only.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Help me set up SwellSSH with a public key connection to my server.
Prompt 2
Show me how to organize multiple servers into named connection groups in SwellSSH.
Prompt 3
Explain how SwellSSH's Windows DPAPI credential storage keeps my saved passwords safe.
Prompt 4
Walk me through switching SwellSSH's theme to Catppuccin Mocha.

Frequently asked questions

What is swell-ssh?

A free open source Windows native SSH client with tabbed sessions, password or key authentication, and GPU accelerated terminal rendering.

What language is swell-ssh written in?

Mainly C#. The stack also includes C#, WinUI 3, .NET 10.

What license does swell-ssh use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is swell-ssh to set up?

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

Who is swell-ssh for?

Mainly developer.

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