The best SSH clients for MacOS

I regularly log in remotely to machines on my local area network. To do that, I use secure shell (SSH). I often default to the terminal but sometimes I prefer a graphical user interface (GUI) app that includes features specific to a SSH.

If MacOS is your go-to operating system, you don’t have to use the terminal window for this task (although that is one of the options I’ll mention). The good news is that SSH is installed on MacOS by default, so the only thing you’ll need to install is the third-party GUI application.

Also: Thinking about switching to Linux? 10 things you need to know

With that said, let’s jump into the apps and see what’s available.

1. Terminal

As I mentioned, I cannot in good conscience talk about using SSH without mentioning the terminal window. This is the most efficient method of using SHH. Because MacOS includes a built-in terminal window, there’s nothing to install. Just open the terminal app and type your SSH command. 

However, when using MacOS, I prefer iTerm2 over the default because iTerm2 has a lot more configuration options (such as transparency, which is always good in my opinion) and the window closes when you type exit (as opposed to the MacOS terminal app having to be manually closed after you type exit). iTerm2 can be installed for free from the Apple App Store.

Also: 5 MacOS terminal apps that are way better than Apple’s default – and free!

The default terminal app doesn’t offer many bells and whistles but it gets the job done efficiently, without installing third-party software.

2. Termius

Termius is one of my favorite GUIs for SSH because it offers just the right amount of features and doesn’t get bogged down with a confusing interface. The best things about Termius are that it keeps a history of your connections, allows you to create and save hosts, includes snippets (so you don’t have to type so much), does port forwarding, and makes it easy to manage SSH key authentication. 

Also: How to manage SSH connections on MacOS with Termius

Termius offers a free version with support for SSH and SFTP, local vaults, and port forwarding. You’ll need to upgrade to one of the three different paid plans to get unlimited devices, tunneling, and other features.

Termius can be installed for free from the Apple App Store.

3. Server Cat

Server Cat is all about servers but that doesn’t mean you can’t also use it to connect to desktop machines. Server Cat does have a few more tricks up its sleeve (besides making it very easy to connect via SSH), such as server monitoring, container monitoring, snippets, command execution across all saved hosts, SSH key creation, SSH logs, and much more. 

Server Cat is not a free app but it’s fairly cheap. You can purchase an annual license for $6/year or a lifetime license for $19. 

If I had to choose between Termius and Server Cat, the choice would be challenging because Server Cat is the cat’s meow.

Also: Keep tabs on your Linux servers from macOS with Servercat

Server Cat can be installed from the Apple App Store.

4. WebSSH

WebSSH is similar to Termius and Server Cat — it’s a well-designed GUI that allows you to create and save hosts for easy connection (so you don’t have to memorize all those IP addresses). WebSSH does have an in-app purchase, so you can add as many SSH/SFTP/TUNNEL connections as needed. The free version, however, offers the basic features you need, such as SSH key authentication support, a built-in SSH key generator, snippets, forwarding, themes, tabs, and more.

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The biggest limitation of the free version is that you’re only allowed to save a single host. You’ll have to buy the paid-for version if you need to connect to more than one machine. The Pro version gives you unlimited connections, a lifetime purchase, and the ability to install WebSSH on all your MacOS, iOS, and iPadOS devices. The Pro version costs a one-time fee of $13.

WebSSH can be installed for free from the Apple App Store.

Any one of these apps will serve you well for your SSH connections. If I had to choose one app, I’d probably select iTerm2 because I’ve been using the Linux terminal for decades. If I wanted to go full-on GUI, I’d go with Termius.