Today, many of us are increasingly concerned about privacy and are switching from one managed service to another self-hosted alternatives. Modern network attached storage (NAS) devices and virtual private server (VPS) instances are becoming commonplace for everyday users. Today, self-catering is no longer limited to hobbyists or homelab hobbyists.
Once you start running services on your VPS or NAS, you’ll need a secure way to access and manage them. This is impractical for everyday users as most VPS providers offer a limited or delayed web console to access them. For this reason, PuTTY has long been the default third-party SSH client for Windows users. It’s stable and reliable, but server workflows today are very different than when PuTTY first became popular.
Today, modern problems often require modern solutions. If you have multiple VPS instances, SSH keys and environments, it can become difficult to manage them. I was in that situation until I discovered Termius. It has become one of the most used networking tools on my systems, whether I’m on Windows or macOS. Built for modern server workflows rather than basic SSH connections. Since switching to Termius, managing my servers has become more organized and less frustrating.
PuTTY still works, but the workflow seems outdated
Great tool, old fashioned approach
PuTTY has always been one of the first tools I install on a new computer or a new Windows installation. This has been my default third-party SSH client since I first started renting VPS instances. It is very lightweight and very reliable to access and manage your VPS. It has a simple interface and can work consistently on older systems.
I used to check my VPS samples once or twice a week, sometimes every two weeks. Today the picture is different. Now I host many services on my VPS. I also manage a NAS and a dedicated homelab server. I even have routers with custom software like OpenWrt that requires SSH access. The frequency of access to these installations increased from weekly to daily.
That’s when I started to feel it PuTTY design and workflow they restricted me. Over time, the interface also began to look bland. But the main issue was not the interface; What started to bug me was the session management, multiple windows and main management.
Because the servers were stored as individual sessions, it became difficult to manage a long list of hosts; no visual grouping or internal hierarchical grouping/tags. In addition, PuTTY opens each connection in a separate window, making it difficult to manage multiple connections. And for keys, PuTTYgen is usually required to generate or convert keys.
These small limitations have existed for a long time, but as my workflow and infrastructure began to grow, they became annoying.
Termius feels more like a server hub than an SSH client
Everything in one place
Termius has become my go-to tool for all server and terminal needs. It enabled the transition from PuTTY by treating SSH as a managed resource rather than just a terminal connection. My first impression of Termius was that it was organized and offered centralized server management. It wasn’t just a terminal window; introduced the much-anticipated structured interface.
The interface is premium and modern and has almost everything a busy workflow would require. It has a clean layout designed more like a professional productivity tool than a simple terminal window. All servers you’ve previously connected to or saved as sessions appear in one place and can be accessed with one click. Navigation is also very easy.
Server organization is one of its most used features. Servers can be grouped, tagged, and organized by project, or separated by environments such as development, staging, or production. This solves the long PuTTY session list problem I had. Engaged workflow improves productivity and multitasking. For example, I can open my VPS instance in one tab, my homelab server in another, and keep my local development terminal tab open with them.
Termius immediately felt different after dealing with PuTTY’s modern workflow limitations.
SSH key management becomes dramatically easier
No more juggling tools
SSH keys are one of the more secure ways to protect your access Examples of VPS. However, managing SSH keys is a difficult and important task, as misplacing them can keep you out of your own server. PuTTY requires PuTTYgen, a separate tool in the PuTTY suite, to generate new keys. If you want an SSH agent, you should use Pageant. This means using three separate tools to fully manage your server.
Termius makes key management easy as it has a built-in SSH key generator. If you already have an SSH key, it can be easily imported into Termius’ key tab without using a separate utility. Managing and assigning keys is also simple; a key can be assigned to multiple hosts. Once assigned, you can connect to the host with one click and authentication happens automatically.
Since the keys are stored directly inside the client, this reduces the chance of misplacing keys between multiple tools. This eliminates the need for several manual steps compared to the PuTTY workflow.
Small features make the biggest difference
Once you see them, you can’t go back
When accessing the servers on a daily basis, minor inefficiencies are noticeable. I access multiple servers daily and keeping track of their IP addresses and their respective authentication methods can be a tedious task. The UI is secondary to me; easier session organization and multi-tasking were my main goals.
Termius solves many of these small workflow problems and helps increase productivity. For example, when I’m working on a full-stack project locally, I need to run both frontend and backend servers to work with them. Termius’ tabbed workflow helps me run both in the same window. This makes it easy to check logs on one server and restart the other to reflect any code changes.
Termius has a simple but very useful feature. This allows me to save snippets of commands that I use regularly so that I can execute a long command with one click regardless of session. Besides SSH, Termius also includes built-in SFTP/file management. I can connect to the host and transfer files directly within the client. Previously, I used PuTTY for SSH access and FileZilla for file transfers; now both can be done from one client.
The result
PuTTY is still a reliable and widely used third-party SSH client. It remains a good choice for administrators looking for a simple and lightweight SSH client. Termius is a solid alternative for those looking for a modern client with centralized host management, easy SSH key management, and features like tabbed sessions, command prompts, and integrated SFTP.
Switching from PuTTY to Termius for my workflow has made managing servers much easier and more productive.
