HostAtlas / Tools / SSH Client
v1.2.0 Free download · macOS · Windows · Linux · native desktop client

A real SSH client, that knows your fleet.

Multi-tab terminal, SFTP, port forwarding, snippets, audit-bridge. Servers, keys and jump hosts sync from the platform — open the client on a new laptop, sign in, your whole fleet is already there. Free for personal and commercial use.

30+
concurrent tabs comfortable
native
windows, no Chromium
free
personal + commercial
HostAtlas SSH — production fleet
keywest db-prod-01 cache-2 · :5433 SFTP +
keywest$ systemctl status nginx
● nginx.service — A high performance web server
Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/nginx.service; enabled)
Active: active (running) since Tue 2026-05-14 09:12:04 UTC; 5d ago
Tasks: 17 (limit: 2347)
Memory: 24.1M
keywest$ tail -f /var/log/nginx/access.log | grep " 5\d\d "
→ live tail, server-side regex filter…
10.0.2.18 - - [14/May/2026:17:31:42 +0000] "POST /api/v1/checkout" 503 412
10.0.2.18 - - [14/May/2026:17:31:43 +0000] "POST /api/v1/checkout" 503 412 _
● connected jump: bastion.eu-c1 cert: 2h 14m left ⌘K hosts
— Why a dedicated client

Most SSH clients optimise for one connection. This one optimises for thirty.

A terminal emulator with an SSH command tacked on isn't the same tool as a desktop client built around how operations engineers actually work — many hosts, many tabs, many days at a time.

survives sleep
Reconnect-on-wake, preserved scrollback, restored layout. Close the lid mid-incident, open it on the train, pick up where you left off.
no .ssh/config drift
The fleet you have in HostAtlas is the fleet that shows up. New laptop? Sign in, every host is already there with the right user, key, and jump host.
snippets, not muscle memory
Save the long systemctl … && tail -f … incantation once. Run it on any host with two keystrokes. Synced across every machine you sign in on.
— What ships in the box

Sixteen features you'd otherwise miss in the moment you needed them.

Every entry below is something you can do the first time you open the client. No plugins, no config-file editing.

tabs + splits
Multi-tab terminal with horizontal + vertical splits. Named sessions, saved window layouts, restored on launch.
reconnect on wake
Tabs survive a laptop sleep. Scrollback preserved, layout restored, sessions re-established without re-typing anything.
SFTP, side by side
Drag-to-upload, drag-to-download, search across the remote tree. Resume-on-disconnect for large transfers.
port forwarding
Local, remote, dynamic (SOCKS). Per-host presets surfaced as a panel, not buried behind a flag.
snippets
Parameterised templates with {{host}}, {{user}}, {{date}}. Synced across devices, two-keystroke recall.
send-to-many
Type once, broadcast to every tab in the group. For when you actually have to run the same command on 12 boxes.
platform-synced hosts
Hosts, jump hosts, default users, key references — pulled from your HostAtlas fleet. Tag-filtered, fuzzy-searchable.
fuzzy host palette
⌘K opens the host palette. Type fragments of hostname, tag, region, or IP — it ranks the matches.
env per profile
Per-host environment variables, startup commands, and connection colour. Production red, staging amber, dev blue.
audit-trail bridge
When SSH Gatekeeper is enabled on the platform, the client uses gated certs automatically — every session lands in the audit log.
session recording
Optional local .cast recording per session. Replay later, share with your team, or upload to the platform timeline.
OS keychain
Private keys stay in macOS Keychain / Windows Credential Manager / libsecret. The client reads keys at connect time, never holds them at rest.
agent-forwarding control
Per-host opt-in for ssh-agent forwarding. Never on by default, never silently. You see when a connection has it active.
import .ssh/config
First-launch import of your existing ~/.ssh/config — Host blocks, ProxyJump chains, IdentityFile references, all preserved.
themes
Light, dark, several palettes, custom JSON theme files. Per-profile theme override for visual prod/staging separation.
offline mode
Works as a plain SSH client without signing in. Platform sync, snippets sync, and audit-bridge are the platform-tier additions.
— Get it

Pick your platform.

Signed builds for every supported OS. Auto-update enabled by default, pinnable per machine. Same version, every platform.

Signed builds · SHA-256 sums in the download header · auto-update on by default, pinnable per machine.

— Honest answers

Questions that come up before the install.

Does it work without an account?

Yes — drop in your ~/.ssh/config and connect. Platform-sync, cross-device snippets, and the audit-bridge are the bonuses you get with a HostAtlas account.

Where are private keys stored?

In your OS keychain (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, libsecret). The client reads at connect time and never copies them anywhere.

Two-factor / hardware keys?

Yubikey + FIDO2 / WebAuthn supported for SSH cert challenges, including OpenSSH sk-ssh-ed25519. PIV smartcard support in beta.

What about jump hosts?

Imported from your ssh_config ProxyJump or synced from the platform. Chains of 3+ hops handled. UI surfaces the active jump path per tab.

Open source?

The client itself is closed-source — the protocol it speaks (OpenSSH, SFTP) is the open standard. The HostAtlas Agent is Apache 2.0 if you need an auditable component on the host side.

Updates?

Signed delta updates. Pin a version with a config flag if you don't want auto-updates on production laptops.

Telemetry?

Off by default. When on, it reports crash signatures and an anonymous version counter — nothing about your hosts, keys, or sessions.

— Works with

Connected capabilities.

Download once, your fleet follows.

Free for personal + commercial use. Platform-sync available on every HostAtlas plan, including free.

Download for macOS Other platforms