electerm vs Tabby
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
Free, open-source desktop app for connecting to remote machines via SSH, SFTP, Telnet, serial and more.
Open source · MIT
A terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux.
The short answer
Choose electerm if you need…
- Developers and sysadmins who manage several remote servers and want one client for them
- People who want an open-source alternative to a commercial SSH client
- Users who need file transfer (SFTP/FTP) alongside their terminal sessions
- Users on older or less common Linux distributions, which the README says are supported
Choose Tabby if you need…
- Developers who keep many SSH sessions open and want them saved and organized
- People who connect to serial devices such as embedded boards and need a built-in serial terminal
- Windows users who want PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash or CMD in one tabbed window
- Users who want to transfer files over SSH sessions via Zmodem
Side-by-side
| electerm | Tabby | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 15.5k | 75.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Download the app |
| Main language | JavaScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
electerm
electerm is a desktop terminal and remote-connection client. It lets you open shells and transfer files to other computers over SSH, SFTP, FTP and Telnet, and the README also lists serial port, RDP, VNC and Spice connections. It is published for Linux, macOS, Windows, Android, HarmonyOS and iOS, and it is MIT-licensed.
Tabby
Tabby is a terminal app you open to run commands on your computer or on remote machines. It combines a terminal emulator with an SSH and Telnet connection manager, a serial terminal for hardware, and a split-pane, tabbed interface. People use it as an alternative to the default Windows terminal, PuTTY, or macOS Terminal.app.
Best for
electerm
- Developers and sysadmins who manage several remote servers and want one client for them
- People who want an open-source alternative to a commercial SSH client
- Users who need file transfer (SFTP/FTP) alongside their terminal sessions
- Users on older or less common Linux distributions, which the README says are supported
Tabby
- Developers who keep many SSH sessions open and want them saved and organized
- People who connect to serial devices such as embedded boards and need a built-in serial terminal
- Windows users who want PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash or CMD in one tabbed window
- Users who want to transfer files over SSH sessions via Zmodem
Strengths
electerm
- Covers many connection types (SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC, Spice) in one app
- Free and open source under the MIT license, with builds for many operating systems
- Runs on a wide range of platforms, including older Windows and Linux versions according to the README
Tabby
- Combines SSH, Telnet and serial clients in one app
- Highly configurable themes, colors and multi-chord shortcuts
- Supports many shells on Windows, including PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash and CMD
Not ideal for
electerm
- People who only need a basic terminal on their own machine, since the many remote protocols and sync features add complexity
- Users who want a tiny, minimal tool, because the feature list is broad
- Users who need a commercially supported product with a guaranteed support contract; the README describes no such support tier
Tabby
- People who need a very low memory footprint, since the README says Tabby is not lightweight and points to Alacritty or ConEmu for that
- Users who want a new shell or a replacement for MinGW or Cygwin, which the README says Tabby is not
- People who need a terminal that runs only in a browser, although a separate web app exists
Trade-offs
electerm
- The README covers a very large feature set, so some features may be less polished or harder to find than the core SSH and SFTP functions
- Some Linux packages (rpm, deb, snap) may not work on every distribution, and the README suggests trying the tar.gz or AppImage release instead
- Some AI and sync features depend on third-party services or accounts, which the README links to but does not fully explain here
Tabby
- The README states it is not lightweight in RAM usage
- Some features, such as tab completion on Windows, depend on an extra tool (Clink)
- Extra functions come from third-party plugins of varying maintenance status
Getting started
electerm
Mac (Homebrew)
brew install --cask electermLinux (Snap)
sudo snap install electerm --classicTabby
Download the latest release from the releases page
git clone https://github.com/Eugeny/tabbyFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between electerm and Tabby?
electerm: Free, open-source desktop app for connecting to remote machines via SSH, SFTP, Telnet, serial and more. Tabby: A terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. electerm suits developers and sysadmins who manage several remote servers and want one client for them, while Tabby suits developers who keep many ssh sessions open and want them saved and organized.
Are electerm and Tabby free?
electerm: Free and open source. Tabby: Free and open source.
Is electerm or Tabby more popular?
Tabby has more GitHub stars (75.3k) than electerm (15.5k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to electerm and Tabby?
Other options people compare them with include superfile, WinBoat.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.