Windows Secure Shell Client With Support For Smart Cards & Certificates
Publisher’s description
What is PuTTY CAC?
PuTTY CAC by Simon Tatham is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It is written in C.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. Installation asks for administrator rights. It needs Windows 10 or newer. A silent install is possible with the installer’s documented switches. An MSI package is available for deployment with Group Policy, Intune or Configuration Manager.
Updates and version history
The current version is 0.85.2.0, released on September 30, 2026. The version history goes back to January 20, 2022: 15 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 3.2 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 35,705 times. The source code on GitHub (NoMoreFood/putty-cac) has 581 stars. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .ppk. Similar programs include PowerShell, Oh My Posh and QPDF.
Project description on GitHub: “Windows SSH client with smart card, certificate, and FIDO authentication, including YubiKey and passkey support, plus tabbed terminal sessions.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Native ARM64 build for Windows on Arm
- MSI package for managed deployment
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: PuTTY CAC is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is PuTTY CAC safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
14779522AEB1BC5B62CAAC8EFFFC34FDBA2C17A4E7BFD5664E92F543168A17C6· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Recent versions
All 15 versions ›15 versions over 5 years · about 3.2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.85.2.0Latest | September 30, 2026 | — | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI32-bit MSI |
| 0.85.1.0 | August 31, 2026 | — | ARM64 MSI32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 0.85.0.0 | August 21, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSIARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 0.84.1.0 | May 25, 2026 | — | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 0.84.0.0 | May 25, 2026 | — | 32-bit MSIARM64 MSI64-bit MSI |
| 0.83.0.1 | February 20, 2025 | — | ARM ZIP64-bit MSI |
| 0.82.0.1 | December 2, 2024 | — | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSIARM MSI32-bit MSI |
| 0.82.0.0 | November 29, 2024 | — | ARM MSI64-bit MSIARM64 MSI32-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id NoMoreFood.PuTTY-CAC -echoco install putty-cac -ymsiexec /i puttycac-0.85u2-x64.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {CFFF31F1-4E42-4C20-B8B6-6F7C3CB12469} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- Simon Tatham
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/NoMoreFood/putty-cac
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10 (Windows 10+)
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI
- Version
- 0.85.2.0
- Released
- September 30, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- January 20, 2022
- Versions listed
- 15
- Updates / year
- 3.2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 35,705
- GitHub stars
- 581
- GitHub forks
- 47
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- NoMoreFood.PuTTY-CAC
- Chocolatey package
- putty-cac
- MSI product code
- {CFFF31F1-4E42-4C20-B8B6-6F7C3CB12469}
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is PuTTY CAC free?
Yes. PuTTY CAC is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is PuTTY CAC safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install PuTTY CAC with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Can PuTTY CAC be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Which Windows versions does PuTTY CAC support?
The installer requires Windows 10 or newer and is available for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit.
Does PuTTY CAC run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of PuTTY CAC?
The versions page lists all 15 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 20, 2022.
What are alternatives to PuTTY CAC?
PowerShell, Oh My Posh, QPDF, PuTTY and Alacritty. The alternatives page compares them.
