--- title: MobaXterm canonical: https://saasranked.com/software/mobaxterm/ category: SSH Clients points: 76 rank: 3 of 12 facts_checked: 2026-10-08 --- # MobaXterm Windows terminal with an SSH client, SFTP browser, X server and RDP and VNC sessions, free in a capped Home edition. 76 points out of 100. #3 of 12 SSH clients. Vendor: Mobatek. Website: https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/ - Home Edition is free, with up to 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels and 4 macros [1]. - Professional costs $69 per user, excluding tax, with a lifetime right to use and 12 months of updates [1]. - The licence lets an individual use Home at work, but bars company-wide deployment or a shared installation [4]. - The built-in tools cover an SFTP browser, X11 forwarding, SSH gateways (jump hosts), serial, Telnet, RDP and VNC [2][3]. - Version 26.5 came out on 2026-09-11; the vendor describes a Windows application with no other system listed [5][6]. Verdict: MobaXterm suits Windows admins who want connections, SFTP, X11 and remote desktop in one tabbed window [2][3]. The free Home edition is capped at 12 sessions, 2 tunnels and 4 macros, so heavy users need Professional at $69 [1]. The catch: the vendor describes only a Windows application, and the licence does not allow modifying the software [4][6]. Best for: Windows admins who want SSH, SFTP, X11 and remote desktop in one window. ## Points | Criterion | Line | Value | Points | Note | |---|---|---|---|---| | Connections | Built-in SFTP file transfer | Yes | 7/7 | Graphical SFTP browser opens beside an SSH session; SFTP sessions are also listed [2][3]. | | Connections | SSH agent forwarding | Yes | 6/6 | Release 22.2 lets you enable or disable agent authentication and agent forwarding for each SSH session [5]. | | Connections | X11 forwarding | Yes | 5/5 | Built-in X server with X11 forwarding over SSH, documented in section 4.1 [2][3]. | | Connections | Port forwarding | Yes | 4/4 | A graphical SSH tunnels manager creates port forwards [2][3]. | | Connections | Jump hosts | Yes | 6/6 | Section 4.10 covers connecting through an SSH gateway (jump host); release 20.3 added multiple jump hosts [3][5]. | | Connections | Serial port connections | Yes | 4/4 | Serial is a listed session type [2][3]. | | Connections | Other protocols | Telnet, RDP, VNC | 3/3 | Telnet, RDP and VNC are listed session types [2]. | | Keys and security | Key generator and key agent | Yes | 5/5 | MobaKeyGen creates SSH keys; the embedded MobAgent SSH agent loads them [3][5]. | | Keys and security | Security key or smart card login | Yes | 6/6 | Release 26.4 (2026-06-11) added smart card certificate authentication in SSH sessions through Microsoft CryptoAPI [5]. | | Keys and security | Saved logins locked by a master password | Not published | 0/6 | A master password protects saved session passwords; the pages do not say it also locks saved keys or passphrases [2][3]. | | Keys and security | Open source | No | 0/6 | Licence is freeware under a vendor agreement and does not allow modifying the software; source is offered for some components only [4]. | | Keys and security | SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 | Not published | 0/2 | Not published on the vendor's home or licence pages [4][6]. | | Sessions and workflow | Saved sessions in folders | Yes | 4/4 | Sessions are saved in a sidebar and organised in session folders [3]. | | Sessions and workflow | Scripting or automation | Yes | 5/5 | Command-line parameters such as -exec run a command; macros replay recorded input [2][3]. | | Sessions and workflow | Sync saved sessions between devices | Yes | 4/4 | Documented: put a sessions file or the .ini configuration on a shared location and point other installs to it [3]. | | Sessions and workflow | Portable version | Yes | 2/2 | The Home Edition download offers a portable edition and an installer edition [1][5]. | | Sessions and workflow | Updated in the last 12 months | Yes | 3/3 | Version 26.5 is dated 2026-09-11 in the changelog [5]. | | Other systems | Other systems | None | 0/8 | Home page calls it a single Windows application; documentation presents it as a Windows tool and lists no other system [3][6]. | | Price | Free for work use | Yes | 6/6 | Free Home Edition with no time limit; the licence lets an individual use it in a company, with restrictions on deployment and sharing [4]. | | Price | Cheapest uncapped edition, per year | $23/yr | 6/8 | Professional: $69 per user, lifetime right to use, so $69 divided by 3. Home is capped at 12 sessions [1]. | ## Plans | Plan | Price | Per month (USD) | |---|---|---| | Home Edition | Free [1][4] | $0 | | Professional Edition | $69 per user, one-time [1] | - | The $69 Professional price is shown excluding tax, with volume discounts available; the page lists 12 months of updates [1]. ## Strengths - SSH, Telnet, RDP, VNC, serial and SFTP sessions open from one window [2][3]. - Jump hosts, X11 forwarding, tunnels and a graphical SFTP browser are built in [2][3]. - Release notes list SSH agent forwarding per session and, since 26.4, smart card certificate sign-in for SSH [5]. - Professional is a one-off $69 with a lifetime right to use [1]. - Portable and installer builds of Home are both offered [1][5]. ## Limits - Home Edition caps sessions at 12, SSH tunnels at 2 and macros at 4 [1]. - Home cannot be deployed inside a company or shared on one installation [4]. - Only Windows is described; no macOS, Linux or mobile app is listed [3][6]. - The licence does not allow modifying the software [4]. - Professional includes 12 months of updates, not lifetime updates [1]. ## Sources 1. [MobaXterm download: Home and Professional editions](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/download.html), Mobatek, accessed 2026-10-08 2. [MobaXterm features](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/features.html), Mobatek, accessed 2026-10-08 3. [MobaXterm documentation](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/documentation.html), Mobatek, accessed 2026-10-08 4. [MobaXterm licence](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/license.html), Mobatek, accessed 2026-10-08 5. [MobaXterm Home Edition download and changelog](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/download-home-edition.html), Mobatek, accessed 2026-10-08 6. [MobaXterm: enhanced terminal for Windows](https://mobaxterm.mobatek.net/), Mobatek, accessed 2026-10-08