PuTTY vs PowerShell

Struggling to choose between PuTTY and PowerShell? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

PuTTY is a Network & Admin solution with tags like terminal-emulator, ssh-client, remote-access, command-line.

It boasts features such as SSH client, Telnet client, Rlogin client, Raw socket connection, Serial port connection, Basic file transfer (SCP and SFTP), Proxying for tunneling connections through HTTP proxies, Local terminal emulator (with VT100 and VT52 emulation), Configurable keyboard shortcuts, Session logging and pros including Free and open source, Lightweight and fast, Supports multiple network protocols, Available for Windows, with unofficial ports for other platforms, Highly configurable with many options, Actively developed and maintained.

On the other hand, PowerShell is a Network & Admin product tagged with automation, scripting, shell, commandline, crossplatform, windows, configuration-management.

Its standout features include PowerShell scripting language, Command line shell and scripting environment, Remoting for executing commands on remote systems, Desired State Configuration for configuring systems, Providers for accessing data stores like registry and file system, Cmdlets for performing administrative tasks, and it shines with pros like Built-in to Windows so no installation required, Very powerful for automating administrative tasks, Large set of cmdlets available for functionality, Cross-platform support including Linux and macOS, Desired State Configuration provides easy system configuration, Can be used for DevOps and infrastructure automation.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

PuTTY

PuTTY

PuTTY is a popular open-source terminal emulator and SSH client for Windows. Developed by Simon Tatham, PuTTY provides a lightweight and versatile tool for connecting to remote servers using various network protocols, including SSH, Telnet, and Rlogin. It is widely used for secure and convenient command-line access to remote systems.

Categories:
Network & Admin Ssh Clients
terminal-emulator ssh-client remote-access command-line

PuTTY Features

  1. SSH client
  2. Telnet client
  3. Rlogin client
  4. Raw socket connection
  5. Serial port connection
  6. Basic file transfer (SCP and SFTP)
  7. Proxying for tunneling connections through HTTP proxies
  8. Local terminal emulator (with VT100 and VT52 emulation)
  9. Configurable keyboard shortcuts
  10. Session logging

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Free and open source

Lightweight and fast

Supports multiple network protocols

Available for Windows, with unofficial ports for other platforms

Highly configurable with many options

Actively developed and maintained

Cons

Official builds only for Windows

Limited file transfer capabilities compared to FTP/SFTP clients

Minimalist interface lacks some conveniences of other SSH clients

Lacks advanced SSH features like agent forwarding or port tunneling

No official support offered

PowerShell

PowerShell

PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation and configuration management framework, consisting of a command-line shell and scripting language. It allows administrators to control and automate administration tasks on Windows and other operating systems.

Categories:
Network & Admin Automation & Scripting
automation scripting shell commandline crossplatform windows configuration-management

PowerShell Features

  1. PowerShell scripting language
  2. Command line shell and scripting environment
  3. Remoting for executing commands on remote systems
  4. Desired State Configuration for configuring systems
  5. Providers for accessing data stores like registry and file system
  6. Cmdlets for performing administrative tasks

Pricing

  • Free
  • Open Source

Pros

Built-in to Windows so no installation required

Very powerful for automating administrative tasks

Large set of cmdlets available for functionality

Cross-platform support including Linux and macOS

Desired State Configuration provides easy system configuration

Can be used for DevOps and infrastructure automation

Cons

Steep learning curve for scripting language

Complex object pipeline can be hard to understand

Commands use verbose naming conventions

Limited usage outside of Windows environments

Not as many resources for learning as other scripting languages