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PuTTY vs XnView

Professional comparison and analysis to help you choose the right software solution for your needs.

PuTTY icon
PuTTY
XnView icon
XnView

PuTTY vs XnView: The Verdict

⚡ Summary:

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.

XnView: XnView is a free image viewer, converter and editor for Windows. It supports over 500 image formats and has basic editing features like resizing, cropping, color adjustments, annotations, and more. XnView is lightweight, customizable and easy to use.

Both tools serve their respective audiences. Compare the features, pricing, and user ratings above to determine which best fits your needs.

Last updated: May 2026 · Comparison by Sugggest Editorial Team

Feature PuTTY XnView
Sugggest Score — —
Category Network & Admin Photos & Graphics
Pricing Open Source —

Product Overview

PuTTY
PuTTY

Description: 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.

Type: software

Pricing: Open Source

XnView
XnView

Description: XnView is a free image viewer, converter and editor for Windows. It supports over 500 image formats and has basic editing features like resizing, cropping, color adjustments, annotations, and more. XnView is lightweight, customizable and easy to use.

Type: software

Key Features Comparison

PuTTY
PuTTY Features
  • 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
XnView
XnView Features
  • Supports over 500 image formats
  • Basic image editing tools
  • Batch processing
  • Metadata editing
  • Plugins and extensions
  • Customizable interface
  • Fast and lightweight

Pros & Cons Analysis

PuTTY
PuTTY
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
XnView
XnView
Pros
  • Free and open source
  • Supports many image formats
  • Easy to use interface
  • Fast and lightweight
  • Good basic editing tools
  • Customizable via plugins
  • Available for Windows, Linux and Mac
Cons
  • Limited advanced editing features
  • Fewer features than paid alternatives
  • Somewhat dated interface
  • Lacks cataloging or organization tools

Pricing Comparison

PuTTY
PuTTY
  • Open Source
XnView
XnView
  • Not listed

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Learn More About Each Product

PuTTY
PuTTY
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →
XnView
XnView
Reviews, pricing & alternatives →

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