electerm

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 — 0.00 USD per 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.