SSH Pilot
Open-source SSH and SFTP client built around your existing ~/.ssh/config file.
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About SSH Pilot
SSH Pilot is a graphical SSH connection manager for developers and sysadmins who already keep their hosts in ~/.ssh/config and want a GUI on top rather than a second database of servers. It reads and writes that config file directly, so there is no import step and the command line stays in sync. Sessions open in a built-in terminal with tabs and split views, or in your preferred terminal app. A dual-pane SFTP file manager and SCP transfers handle files, and it can copy keys to servers and manage authorized keys and known hosts. Extras include a server dashboard with resource usage, a Docker container manager for connected hosts, command snippets, plugins, and secret storage through libsecret, KeePass, Bitwarden or pass. It is free under the GPLv3 and available for Linux (Flatpak, deb, rpm, AUR), macOS and Windows. It is a young, mostly single-maintainer project, and it has no team sharing or mobile apps like commercial clients offer.
Best for: Linux users who want a free GUI for the SSH hosts already in their ~/.ssh/config.
Pros and cons
What works
- Uses ~/.ssh/config directly, with no separate host database
- Built-in tabbed terminal plus dual-pane SFTP
- Key copying, known-hosts and authorized-keys management
- Free and GPL-licensed on Linux, macOS and Windows
Why people leave
- No team vaults or shared host lists
- No mobile apps
- Young project with a small maintainer team
Top SSH Pilot alternatives
See all 5- 1
Termius56.8Polished cross-platform SSH client with mobile apps and synced, shareable host vaults for teams.
- 2
Tabby (terminal)52.6Free open-source terminal with built-in SSH profiles and SFTP, running on Windows, macOS and Linux.
- 3
MobaXterm51.2Windows toolbox combining tabbed SSH, an SFTP browser and an X server in one app.
- 4
Remmina50.0Linux remote-access client covering SSH alongside RDP and VNC if you manage mixed machines.
- 5
PuTTY43.9The long-standing free SSH client, lightweight and familiar, if you mostly need plain terminal sessions.
Why people left SSH Pilot
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SSH Pilot: common questions
Is SSH Pilot free?
Yes. SSH Pilot is free, open-source software.
Is SSH Pilot open source?
Yes. The source code is on GitHub at mfat/sshpilot.
What platforms does SSH Pilot run on?
SSH Pilot is available for Linux, macOS and Windows.
What are the best alternatives to SSH Pilot?
The highest-ranked SSH Pilot alternatives right now are Termius, Tabby (terminal) and MobaXterm. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.