PuTTY (pʌti/) is a free and open-source terminal emulator, serial console and network file transfer application. It supports several network protocols, including SCP, SSH, Telnet, rlogin, and raw socket connection. It can also connect to a serial port. The name "PuTTY" has no official meaning.
PuTTY was originally written for Microsoft Windows, but it has been ported to various other operating systems. Official ports are available for some Unix-like platforms, with work-in-progress ports to Classic Mac OS and macOS, and unofficial ports have been contributed to platforms such as Symbian, Windows Mobile and Windows Phone.
PuTTY was written and is maintained primarily by Simon Tatham, a British programmer.
PuTTY supports many variations on the secure remote terminal, and provides user control over the SSH encryption key and protocol version, alternate ciphers such as AES, 3DES, RC4, Blowfish, DES, and public-key authentication. PuTTY uses its own format of key files – PPK (protected by Message Authentication Code). PuTTY supports SSO through GSSAPI, including user provided GSSAPI DLLs. It also can emulate control sequences from xterm, VT220, VT102 or ECMA-48 terminal emulation, and allows local, remote, or dynamic port forwarding with SSH (including X11 forwarding). The network communication layer supports IPv6, and the SSH protocol supports the zlib@openssh.com delayed compre
What is PuTTY?
PuTTY by Simon Tatham is open-source Windows software in the terminals & cli tools category. It ranks 11th by popularity among terminals & cli tools in this catalogue. It is written in C. Besides Windows, it is available for macOS, Symbian, BSD and GNU/Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides MSI and Portable installers for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit Windows. The main installer is 3.8 MB. Installation asks for administrator rights. 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 0.85.0.0, released on August 14, 2026. The version history goes back to June 27, 2020: 12 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 2 releases a year.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 5,267,667 times. Wikipedia has an article about it in 31 of our languages. On Windows it registers 1 file type, including .ppk. Similar programs include PowerShell, QPDF and Oh My Posh.
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
- Small download (3.8 MB)
- Also runs on macOS, Symbian and BSD
- Large user base
Cons
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: PuTTY is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 64-bit, ARM64 and 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is PuTTY safe to download?
- The file is served by the.earth.li; check that it is the publisher’s official mirror
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
2213EBACF962B709411D654A40087508A694756BC4E41C5A1C24AD86596B2511· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link answered when we last checked it (October 22, 2026)
- 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 12 versions ›12 versions over 6 years · about 2 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0.85.0.0Latest | August 14, 2026 | 4.1 MB | 64-bit MSI64-bit ZIP32-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 0.84.0.0 | May 22, 2026 | 4.1 MB | ARM64 ZIP64-bit MSI32-bit MSI64-bit ZIP |
| 0.83.0.0 | February 8, 2025 | 3.8 MB | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 0.82.0.0 | November 27, 2024 | 3.8 MB | ARM64 MSI32-bit MSI64-bit MSI |
| 0.81.0.0 | April 15, 2024 | 3.7 MB | 64-bit MSIARM64 MSI32-bit MSI |
| 0.80.0.0 | December 19, 2023 | 3.7 MB | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
| 0.79.0.0 | August 28, 2023 | 3.7 MB | 32-bit MSI64-bit MSIARM64 MSI |
| 0.78.0.0 | October 29, 2022 | 3.7 MB | ARM64 MSI64-bit MSI32-bit MSI |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id PuTTY.PuTTY -echoco install putty -yscoop install extras/puttymsiexec /i putty-64bit-0.85-installer.msi /qn /norestartmsiexec /x {3B0346D3-155D-43E5-9561-B9BE51CF2EB6} /qn /norestartRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
flatpak install flathub uk.org.greenend.chiark.sgtatham.puttyInformation
- Publisher
- Simon Tatham
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Written in
- C
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit, ARM64, 32-bit
- Installer
- MSI, Portable
- Other platforms
- macOS, Symbian, BSD, GNU/Linux
- Version
- 0.85.0.0
- Released
- August 14, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- May 8, 2021
- Versions listed
- 12
- Updates / year
- 2
- Chocolatey downloads
- 5,267,667
- Website
- chiark.greenend.org.uk
- winget ID
- PuTTY.PuTTY
- Chocolatey package
- putty
- Scoop package
- extras/putty
- MSI product code
- {3B0346D3-155D-43E5-9561-B9BE51CF2EB6}
File types it opens (1)
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to PuTTY
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Frequently asked questions
Is PuTTY free?
Yes. PuTTY is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is PuTTY safe to download?
The download comes from the.earth.li; 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 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 be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer, including msiexec for the MSI package.
Does PuTTY run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
Yes, there is a native ARM64 installer.
Where can I download an older version of PuTTY?
The versions page lists all 12 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 27, 2020.
What are alternatives to PuTTY?
PowerShell, QPDF, Oh My Posh, cURL and Alacritty. The alternatives page compares them.
