Tera Term (alternatively TeraTerm) is an open-source, free, software implemented, terminal emulator (communications) program. It emulates different types of computer terminals, from DEC VT100 to DEC VT382. It supports Telnet, SSH 1 & 2 and serial port connections. It also has a built-in macro scripting language (supporting Oniguruma regular expressions) and other plugins.
The first versions of Tera Term were created by Takashi Teranishi from Japan. At the time, it was the only freely available terminal emulator to effectively support the Japanese language. Original development of Tera Term stopped in the late 1990s at version 2.3, but other organizations have created variations.
In October 2002, Ayera Technologies released TeraTerm Pro 3.1.3 supporting SSH2 and added multiple other features like a built-in web server for API integration with external systems, recurring "keep-alive" commands, and ODBC database support via the TT Macro Scripting Language. Ayera Technologies did not make their source open, but does provide limited technical support.
What is Tera Term?
Tera Term is an open-source terminals & cli tool program for Windows from TeraTerm Project (developed by Takashi Teranishi). It ranks 31st by popularity among terminals & cli tools in this catalogue. The first release dates back to 1994. It is written in C.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 32-bit as EXE (Inno Setup). Installation asks for administrator rights. The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 5.7.1, released on October 9, 2026. 5 versions are listed since November 27, 2023, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 1.7 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 137,827 times. The source code on GitHub (TeraTermProject/teraterm) has 1,076 stars. Wikipedia has an article about it in 7 of our languages. Similar programs include PowerShell, Tabby and Oh My Posh.
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
- Mature project (since 1994)
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- 32-bit only
- Installation needs administrator rights
In short: Tera Term is an open-source terminals & cli tool tool for 32-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Screenshots
Is Tera Term 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:
88BF481C67E9DE7037A5E986E9F5F860F8C70832B456E936CAC6C593FDD37950· 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 5 versions ›5 versions over 3 years · about 1.7 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.7.1Latest | October 9, 2026 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup)32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 4.108 | December 18, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 4.107 | October 28, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 4.106 | November 27, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 4.105 | November 27, 2023 | — | 32-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id TeraTermProject.teraterm -echoco install teraterm -yscoop install extras/teratermteraterm-5.7.1-x86.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Information
- Publisher
- TeraTerm Project
- Developer
- Takashi Teranishi
- Category
- Terminals & CLI tools
- Licence
- 3-clause BSD license
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/TeraTermProject/teraterm
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 32-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Version
- 5.7.1
- Released
- October 9, 2026
- First release
- 1994
- Added to the catalogue
- March 30, 2021
- Versions listed
- 5
- Updates / year
- 1.7
- Chocolatey downloads
- 137,827
- GitHub stars
- 1,076
- GitHub forks
- 126
- Website
- teratermproject.github.io
- winget ID
- TeraTermProject.teraterm
- Chocolatey package
- teraterm
- Scoop package
- extras/teraterm
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Tera Term
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QPDF12.4.2QPDF is a command-line tool and C++ library that performs content-preserving transformations on PDF files.Open source2.1M ↓ -
PuTTY0.85.0.0A free implementation of SSH and Telnet for Windows and Unix platforms, along with an xterm terminal emulator.Open source5.3M ↓ -
Alacritty0.17.0Alacritty is a free and open-source GPU accelerated terminal emulator focused on performance and simplicity.Open source75.9K ↓ -
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Frequently asked questions
Is Tera Term free?
Yes. Tera Term is open-source software under the 3-clause BSD license licence.
Is Tera Term 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 Tera Term 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 Tera Term be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does Tera Term run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 32-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Tera Term?
The versions page lists all 5 versions with links to their official installer files, back to November 27, 2023.
Can I use Tera Term without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Tera Term?
PowerShell, Tabby, Oh My Posh, QPDF and PuTTY. The alternatives page compares them.
