Tera Term icon

Tera Term

Tera Term is a free, open-source terminal emulator and telnet client for Windows. It allows users to connect to remote servers and access command line interfaces like a virtual terminal. Key features include VT/TEK terminal emulation, customizable interface and keyboard shortcuts, SSH and telnet client support.

What is Tera Term?

Tera Term is a popular, free, open-source terminal emulator and telnet client application for the Windows operating system. First released in 1994 by T. Teranishi, it has become one of the most widely-used terminal programs for Windows due to its versatility, active development community, and lack of cost.

Some of the key features and capabilities provided by Tera Term include:

  • Terminal emulation for various text-based interfaces, including VT100, VT102, VT220, VT320, ANSI, Xterm, and Tektronix 4014
  • Support for SSH and Telnet protocols for connecting to Unix/Linux systems and network devices
  • Scripting and automation using macros and command-line launching options
  • Customizable user interface with themes, transparency, and user-defined shortcuts
  • Portability and small footprint suitable for USB drives or as part of larger application bundles

Tera Term allows developers, system administrators, network engineers, and power users to access text-based interfaces for troubleshooting, configuration, or access to data interfaces. Its terminal emulation and SSH/telnet connectivity make it a versatile client. The open-source availability also allows Tera Term to be easily integrated into other applications.

While more recently developed terminal emulators have introduced tabbed interfaces and additional features, Tera Term remains popular due to its stability, light resource usage, and highly customizable interface. Its longevity and open-source development model ensure it remains actively updated as well.

The Best Tera Term Alternatives

Top Apps like Tera Term

PuTTY, SecureCRT, Windows Terminal, RealTerm, OpenSSH, Bitvise SSH Client, Minicom, Royal TSX, CuteCom, KiTTY, JuiceSSH, CoolTerm, Hercules SETUP, dterm (terminal emulator), moserial, Tectia SSH Client, PenguiNet, HackBugUtility, ConsoleZ, SSH-RT, Axessh, SSH Cryptonaut, DTerm Open are some alternatives to Tera Term.

PuTTY

PuTTY is a widely used terminal emulator and SSH client that provides a user-friendly interface for connecting to remote servers and devices. It was initially developed for Microsoft Windows but has been adapted for other platforms as well. PuTTY is known for its simplicity, reliability, and support for various network...

SecureCRT

SecureCRT is a terminal emulator designed for secure remote access and administration of servers, routers, and other network devices. It was originally created by VanDyke Software and is now owned by Progress. Some key features of SecureCRT include:Support for SSH1, SSH2, Telnet, rlogin, serial connections, and other protocolsAdvanced SSH...

Windows Terminal

Windows Terminal is a modern, versatile, and user-friendly terminal emulator application designed specifically for the Windows command-line interface. Released in 2019 by Microsoft, it comes pre-installed in Windows 11 and is available to download separately for Windows 10.Windows Terminal provides numerous major improvements over the traditional Windows console host. Key highlights include...

RealTerm

RealTerm is a versatile serial port and TCP/IP terminal program designed to replace HyperTerminal for engineers and developers. Some of its key features include:Full ANSI and VT100/VT220 terminal emulation.Plain ASCII view, hexadecimal view and binary view for incoming data.Data logging with timestamp to files.Scripting...

OpenSSH

OpenSSH is a widely used connectivity tool for remote login and other secure network services over an unsecured network. It provides secure encrypted communication channels between two devices connected over the internet or a local network.OpenSSH was created as a free and open source alternative to the proprietary Secure...

Bitvise SSH Client

Bitvise SSH Client is a secure SSH and SFTP client application for Windows. It provides state-of-the-art terminal emulation, graphical as well as command-line SFTP support, an FTP-to-SFTP bridge, powerful tunneling capabilities, and a scriptable command-line interface for automation of repetitive tasks.Key features of Bitvise SSH Client include:Support for...

Minicom

Minicom is a text-based terminal emulation program for Unix-like operating systems. It is designed to connect to devices with a serial interface, such as routers, switches, servers, and other hardware that can be configured over a serial cable.Some key features of Minicom include:Making TCP/IP connections to network...

Royal TSX

Royal TSX is a powerful Windows application designed specifically for managing remote connections and automating routine tasks. With an intuitive tabbed interface and support for a wide range of protocols like RDP, VNC, SSH, Telnet, and more, Royal TSX aims to be the all-in-one solution for IT administrators, developers, and...

CuteCom

CuteCom is a free, open source, cross-platform serial terminal program that allows connecting to serial devices such as modems, sensors, microcontrollers, etc. to interactively send and receive data.Some of the key features of CuteCom include:Support for multiple simultaneous connections to different devices/portsLogging all communication with connected devices...

KiTTY

KiTTY is an enhanced fork of PuTTY, the popular open-source Telnet and SSH client for Windows. It retains the familiar interface of PuTTY while adding many useful features that are missing in the original.Some of the major features added in KiTTY include:Session logging - Ability to log all...

JuiceSSH

JuiceSSH is a popular SSH and terminal client app for Android. It enables you to securely connect to Linux or Unix servers, routers, switches, or other devices directly from your Android phone or tablet.Some key features of JuiceSSH include:Clean and intuitive interface with tabbed terminalsSupports multiple simultaneous SSH...

CoolTerm

CoolTerm is a popular open source serial terminal program available for macOS, Linux, and Windows operating systems. It provides a simple interface that allows users to connect to serial devices such as microcontrollers, modems, GPS units, and more to send and receive data.Some key features of CoolTerm include:Supports...

Hercules SETUP

Hercules SETUP is a handy utility that allows you to create a portable version of Windows that can be run from a USB flash drive or external USB hard drive. It takes a Windows installation disc (ISO file) and guides you through the process of installing Windows on the external...

Dterm (terminal emulator)

dterm is an open-source terminal emulator for Linux and UNIX-like operating systems. It is developed in D programming language and aims to provide a fast, lightweight and customizable terminal emulator.Some of the key features of dterm include:Supports Unicode and offers text shapingColor schemes and themesTabs and split panesCustomizable...

Moserial

Moserial is an open-source serial terminal program designed specifically for macOS. It provides an intuitive graphical user interface for connecting to serial devices such as microcontrollers, GPS modules, and other hardware that communicates over a serial port.Some key features of Moserial include:Simple setup - Just select your serial...

Tectia SSH Client

Tectia SSH Client is a feature-rich and versatile secure shell (SSH) client for establishing encrypted network connections, transferring files and setting up secure tunnels on Linux, Windows and Unix platforms. Some of the key capabilities and benefits of Tectia SSH Client include:Strong encryption using AES, Triple DES, Blowfish and...

PenguiNet

PenguiNet is an open source GNU/Linux distribution based on Debian that emphasizes security, privacy, and ease of use. It was created in response to the growing demand for user-friendly and secure computing environments. The aim with PenguiNet is to provide a fast, lightweight and intuitive desktop operating system for...

HackBugUtility

HackBugUtility is an comprehensive open-source penetration testing and vulnerability assessment framework used by information security professionals and ethical hackers. It provides a broad set of features that enable systematically finding and exploiting weaknesses in networks, web applications, wireless networks, databases, and more.Some key capabilities of HackBugUtility include:Network mapping...

ConsoleZ

ConsoleZ is an open-source tabbed terminal emulator and shell enhancement utility for Windows. It provides multiple tabs and splits in a single window to manage multiple console or command-line interfaces simultaneously. Some of its major features include:Tabbed interface for running multiple command prompts, PowerShells, WSL distros, etc. in a...

SSH-RT

SSH-RT is an open-source, cross-platform remote support and remote access software suitable for managed service providers, corporate IT departments, and small businesses. It allows IT technicians to access computers, servers, and mobile devices remotely to troubleshoot issues, provide technical support, transfer files, run commands, view remote desktop screens, and more...

Axessh

Axessh is an open source SSH client and terminal emulator for Windows, macOS and Linux operating systems. It provides a clean yet powerful graphical user interface for connecting to remote servers over SSH, allowing you to execute commands, transfer files, configure tunnels and much more.Some key features of Axessh...

SSH Cryptonaut

SSH Cryptonaut is an encrypted SSH and SFTP client application for Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. It provides secure remote access, file transfer, and network tunneling capabilities through the SSH protocol and SFTP file transfer protocol.The main focus of SSH Cryptonaut is on privacy and security. All connections...

DTerm Open

DTerm Open is an open-source terminal emulator application for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It provides a command-line interface that allows users to execute commands, edit files, manage processes, and control the operating system.As a terminal emulator, DTerm Open enables access to the Unix shell, providing a text-based...