electerm
electerm combines a terminal emulator, graphical SFTP file manager, and remote connection protocols in a free, open-source application under the MIT License.
What electerm is
electerm combines a terminal emulator, graphical SFTP file manager, and remote connection protocols in a free, open-source application under the MIT License. It supports SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC, and Spice sessions, with public-key or password authentication. Connection options include proxies, SSH tunneling, agent and port forwarding, X11 forwarding, and connection hopping. In the SFTP manager, users can open remote files for editing. Its AI assistant supports OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses, and Anthropic Messages formats for generating commands and scripts, making bookmarks, and providing explanations. Bookmarks, themes, and quick commands can be synchronized through GitHub or Gitee secret gists, WebDAV, a custom server, or electerm cloud. Desktop versions support Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, and Linux across several listed processor architectures; mobile versions are available for Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS. The browser version works without installation and supports several remote protocols, but omits local terminal, serial-port, and web-page features. For electerm online, credentials are stored on the server and SSH connections pass through it; the site provides no security guarantees.
Good
- Free and open-source under the MIT License
- Supports SSH, SFTP, FTP, RDP, VNC, and more
- Remote files can be edited through SFTP
- Available for desktop and mobile platforms
Watch out
- Browser version lacks local terminal support
- Browser version lacks serial-port and web-page features
- Online credentials are stored on the server
Who it suits
electerm may suit people who want terminal access, remote file management, and several connection protocols in one application. It also has mobile versions and a browser option, though the browser version has fewer features and a distinct credential-handling arrangement.
Verdict
electerm combines remote sessions and SFTP file handling with desktop, mobile, and browser versions. Readers considering the online version should note its stated credential storage and SSH proxying, as well as its feature limits.
Plans and prices
From electerm's own pricing page, checked 15 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | terminal · file manager · SSH/SFTP/FTP/Telnet/serial/RDP/VNC/Spice · desktop/mobile clients |
The facts
Each one read from electerm's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- AI assistant
- Its AI assistant supports OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses and Anthropic Messages formats for command generation, explanations, scripts, bookmarks and agent operations.checked 15 Oct 2026
- AI integration
- The AI assistant supports OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses, and Anthropic Messages formats for command generation, scripts, bookmark creation, and explanations.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Authentication
- The client supports password and public-key authentication, SSH tunneling, agent forwarding, port forwarding, X11 forwarding and connection hopping.checked 15 Oct 2026
- CLI
- The wiki documents command-line SSH connections, batch CSV operations and parameterized Telnet, RDP, VNC, serial and local sessions.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Themes, terminal background images, transparent windows and a global hotkey are provided.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Data synchronization
- Bookmarks, themes, and quick commands can sync through GitHub or Gitee secret gists, WebDAV, a custom server, or electerm cloud.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Deep links
- The application can open connections from URLs such as ssh://user@host:22 and telnet://host:port.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Documentation
- The GitHub wiki lists 50 documentation pages, including AI configuration, synchronization, batch operations, deep links and command-line usage.checked 15 Oct 2026
- File editing
- Users can double-click remote files to edit them through the integrated SFTP file manager.checked 1 Oct 2026
- File transfer
- Zmodem and Trzsz transfers are supported and are compatible with tmux.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Install methods
- Published installation routes include Windows installers and archives, macOS DMG, Linux deb/rpm/snap/AppImage/tar packages, Homebrew, npm, winget and Microsoft Store.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Synchronization can use GitHub or Gitee secret gists, WebDAV, custom servers or electerm cloud.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Languages
- The project lists more than 14 community-contributed interface languages.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Latest release
- Version 5.6.10 was released on 15 October 2026 with encrypted electerm-cloud sync data, bookmark key-file paths, WebDAV fixes and SSH MFA fixes.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The main repository and related electerm projects use the MIT licence.checked 15 Oct 2026
- License
- electerm is free and open-source software released under the MIT License.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Limit: documentation gap
- An independent review says the feature breadth is accompanied by sparse documentation and that protocol-specific behavior is not fully described.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: local code execution vulnerability
- GitHub’s advisory reports a critical local code-execution flaw in versions 3.0.6 through 3.8.8 and identifies 3.9.0 as patched.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Limit: resource use
- The Italian review measured about 200 MB RAM with one local terminal and just over 300 MB with three tabs, considerably above its native-client comparison.checked 15 Oct 2026
Where it runs
- Apple compatibility
- The iOS listing requires iOS 15 or later and lists iPadOS, macOS 12+ on Apple Silicon and visionOS compatibility.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Apple privacy disclosure
- Apple’s listing says the developer reports collecting unlinked user content, search history and diagnostic data for analytics or diagnostics, without Apple verification.checked 15 Oct 2026
- Browser limitations
- The online version does not support local terminal, serial port, or web page features.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Browser version
- electerm online runs in desktop and mobile browsers without installation and supports SSH, SFTP, RDP, VNC, SPICE, Telnet, and FTP.checked 1 Oct 2026
- Desktop platforms
- Desktop builds support Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, and Linux, including x64, ARM64, ARMv7, LoongArch64, RISC-V, and ppc64le variants.checked 1 Oct 2026
The full review of electerm
electerm is a free, open-source client for remote sessions, terminal work and graphical file management. It suits people who want SSH and SFTP alongside desktop and mobile access and a wide range of other connection protocols. Its breadth is a strong draw, but the browser edition has meaningful feature and security trade-offs.
Overview
electerm brings terminal access, file handling and remote connections into one client. SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC and SPICE support make it useful beyond shell-only workflows, while its integrated SFTP manager can open remote files for editing. The project is released under the MIT License, so it is a clear fit for readers seeking free, open-source software.
Session management uses workspaces. Saved bookmarks, themes and quick commands can sync through GitHub or Gitee secret gists, WebDAV, a custom server or electerm cloud. These options offer flexibility, though users should choose a sync destination that suits their own data-handling requirements.
For more tools in this category, see SSH Clients.
Key features
- Broad remote access: SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC and SPICE give electerm reach across shell, file-transfer and remote-desktop sessions. That range can consolidate varied connections in one app; readers who need only a focused file-transfer client may not need the extra scope.
- SSH options: Password and public-key authentication are joined by proxying, SSH tunneling, agent forwarding, port forwarding, X11 forwarding and connection hopping. This is a substantial toolkit for more involved connection setups.
- Graphical SFTP editing: Double-clicking a remote file opens it for editing through the integrated file manager, linking file access with the rest of the remote workflow.
- AI assistance: The assistant supports OpenAI Chat Completions, OpenAI Responses and Anthropic Messages formats for generating commands and scripts, creating bookmarks and explaining commands. Its format support gives users options for connecting compatible AI services.
- Browser edition: electerm online runs in desktop and mobile browsers without installation, with SSH, SFTP, RDP, VNC, SPICE, Telnet and FTP. It omits local terminal, serial and web page features, and stores connection credentials on its server while proxying SSH through it; the site provides no security guarantees. That makes the convenience a poor fit for readers unwilling to entrust credentials and connections to that service.
Pricing
Free — free. The MIT-licensed plan includes a terminal and file manager, with SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial, RDP, VNC and SPICE. There is no paid tier to weigh against those core capabilities: readers get the listed desktop and mobile protocols without a subscription. The browser version is also available without installation, but its security and feature limits remain important regardless of price.
Platforms
Desktop builds support Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+ and Linux, including x64, ARM64, ARMv7, LoongArch64, RISC-V and ppc64le variants. Mobile versions are provided for Android, iOS and HarmonyOS. The browser edition adds access from desktop and mobile browsers. Debian/APT and RPM/YUM repositories are GPG-signed, a useful integrity measure for users installing through those channels.
Who it's for
electerm is best for users who want one free client for multiple remote protocols, SFTP file work and workspaces across desktop and mobile systems. Its forwarding and hopping options also suit SSH users whose connections need more than basic authentication. It is less appropriate for anyone who requires a browser client without server-side credential storage or proxied SSH, or whose workflow depends on local terminal or serial support in the browser.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Wide protocol coverage: Eight protocols span terminal, file-transfer and remote-desktop use cases.
- Useful SSH tooling: Public keys, passwords, forwarding, tunneling and connection hopping cover varied connection needs.
- Free and open source: The MIT License and cross-platform builds make it accessible across desktop and mobile systems.
- Flexible sync choices: Bookmarks, themes and quick commands can sync through several destinations, including self-managed options.
Cons
- Browser security trade-off: Online credentials are stored on the server and SSH is proxied through it, with no security guarantees from the site.
- Browser feature gaps: Local terminal, serial and web page features are absent online.
- Website data collection: The site collects IP address, browser and operating-system details, visited pages, referring addresses and device identifiers through cookies and similar technologies.
Alternatives
- Termius is a freemium SSH and SFTP alternative with a free Starter plan that includes a local vault, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding; consider it if those specific features are your priority.
- Royal TS offers a free Lite plan capped at 10 connections, 10 credentials and one document, plus a free trial; it may suit readers who prefer a connection-limited starting point.
- XPipe is an open-core alternative with its application core on GitHub under Apache License 2.0 and some paid features not open source; choose it if that model better suits your preference.
- Tabby is a free FOSS option for Linux, macOS and Windows; consider it if those desktop platforms and a FOSS terminal are the main requirement.
- WindTerm is free for commercial and non-commercial use without limitations, though its source code is only partially open; it is an option for readers who value those usage terms.
- WinSCP is a free, open-source Windows file-transfer client supporting SFTP, FTP, FTPS, SCP, WebDAV and S3; pick it for Windows-focused file transfer across those protocols.
- MobaXterm is a Windows alternative with a free Home Edition capped at 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels, 4 macros and 360 seconds for TFTP, NFS and Cron; those limits make it worth considering for a bounded Windows setup.
- SecurSSH has a free plan for one user, up to 30 hosts and 3 groups; consider it if those caps suit your needs.
Verdict
Choose electerm if you want a free, open-source client that combines broad remote-protocol support, SSH tooling and graphical SFTP file editing across desktop and mobile platforms. Its main reason to look elsewhere is the online edition’s server-side credential storage and proxied SSH; keep sensitive connections in a version whose handling meets your requirements.
Getting started
- Visit the electerm website.
- Choose a desktop build for Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, or Linux, or choose an Android, iOS, or HarmonyOS version.
- For browser use, open electerm online; it runs in desktop and mobile browsers without installation.
- Create a connection using a supported protocol and public-key or password authentication.
- Optionally configure bookmark, theme, and quick-command syncing through a supported service.
Questions
Is electerm free?
Yes. electerm is free and open-source software released under the MIT License.
Which platforms does it support?
Desktop builds are listed for Windows 7+, macOS 10.15+, and Linux. Mobile versions are provided for Android, iOS, and HarmonyOS, and electerm online runs in desktop and mobile browsers.
Which connection protocols does electerm support?
It supports SSH, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, serial port, RDP, VNC, and Spice sessions.
Can electerm be used in a browser?
Yes. electerm online runs without installation and supports SSH, SFTP, RDP, VNC, SPICE, Telnet, and FTP. It does not support local terminal, serial port, or web page features.
Is electerm open source?
Yes. It is released under the MIT License.
How does electerm online handle connection security?
For electerm online, credentials are stored on the server and SSH connections are proxied through it. The site provides no security guarantees.
