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PuTTY VS Windows Command Prompt

Compare PuTTY VS Windows Command Prompt and see what are their differences

PuTTY logo PuTTY

Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.

Windows Command Prompt logo Windows Command Prompt

Windows Console Emulator, Far Manager plugins.
  • PuTTY Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-09-13
  • Windows Command Prompt Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-09-29

PuTTY features and specs

  • Free and Open Source
    PuTTY is free to use and its source code is openly available. This allows flexibility for users to modify it according to their needs and ensures that there are no licensing costs associated with its usage.
  • Wide Protocol Support
    PuTTY supports various network protocols including SSH, Telnet, SCP, and SFTP. This makes it versatile for different types of server management and data transfer tasks.
  • Lightweight
    PuTTY is a lightweight application that consumes minimal system resources, making it suitable for use on older or less powerful systems without significant performance degradation.
  • Extensible Configuration Options
    PuTTY offers a wide range of configuration options for terminal emulation, keyboard mappings, and connection settings, giving users fine control over their connections and workflow.
  • Portability
    PuTTY can be run as a portable application from USB drives or other external storage devices without the need for a formal installation process on the host system.

Possible disadvantages of PuTTY

  • No Integrated File Manager
    Unlike some other SSH clients, PuTTY does not come with an integrated file manager, which can make tasks involving file transfers less convenient without the use of PuTTY's separate utilities like PSCP or WinSCP.
  • Limited Scripting Capabilities
    PuTTY itself lacks advanced scripting capabilities which can be a limitation for users who need to automate sessions or workflows extensively. External tools or extensions are necessary for these needs.
  • Basic User Interface
    The user interface of PuTTY is quite basic compared to modern applications. It lacks some of the polished features and aesthetics that other terminal clients might offer.
  • No Tabbed Sessions
    PuTTY does not natively support multiple tabbed sessions within a single window, which can make managing multiple connections less convenient. Users typically need to open multiple instances of the application.
  • Windows-Centric
    While PuTTY is primarily developed for Windows, its cross-platform capabilities through ports like PuTTY for Mac or Linux are not as well-supported, leading to potential inconsistencies and lack of features compared to the Windows version.

Windows Command Prompt features and specs

  • Widely Supported
    The Windows Command Prompt is a built-in tool available on nearly all Windows operating systems, ensuring wide compatibility and availability without the need for installation.
  • Simple to Use
    The Windows Command Prompt offers a straightforward interface for executing basic commands, making it accessible even to users with minimal experience with command-line interfaces.
  • Automation and Scripting
    Users can automate repetitive tasks and execute batch scripts, improving efficiency and facilitating complex workflows through CLI commands and batch files.
  • System Administration
    The Command Prompt allows system administrators to perform various administrative tasks like file management, network diagnostics, and system configurations directly through commands.
  • Troubleshooting
    The Command Prompt provides numerous commands for diagnosing and fixing system issues, making it an essential tool for IT professionals when troubleshooting problems.

Possible disadvantages of Windows Command Prompt

  • Limited Functionality
    Compared to more modern or advanced command-line interfaces like PowerShell or Unix-based shells, the Windows Command Prompt has relatively limited functionality and fewer built-in commands.
  • No Support for Scripting Languages
    The Command Prompt does not natively support more powerful scripting languages like Python or Perl, which limits its capability for advanced scripting and automation tasks.
  • Interface Limitations
    The Command Prompt interface is text-based and does not support modern features like syntax highlighting, tab completion, or powerful text editing capabilities found in many contemporary terminals.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While simple to use for basic tasks, mastering more advanced functionalities of the Command Prompt involves a significant learning curve, especially for complex scripting or system administration tasks.
  • Security Risks
    Improper use of certain commands can pose security risks, potentially exposing the system to vulnerabilities or accidental misconfigurations, particularly when commands are run with administrative privileges.

PuTTY videos

MASSIVE STORE PUTTY REVIEW!

More videos:

  • Review - MOST EXPENSIVE STORE PUTTY + MORE!
  • Review - STORE BOUGHT SLIME & PUTTY REVIEW, MIXING ALL MY SLIME !! SLIME SMOOTHIE | SATISFYING SLIME VIDEO 32

Windows Command Prompt videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PuTTY and Windows Command Prompt)
SSH
82 82%
18% 18
Server Management
85 85%
15% 15
Server Configuration And Automation
Tool
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare PuTTY and Windows Command Prompt

PuTTY Reviews

10 Best PuTTY Alternatives To Try in 2024
Instead of a full-fledged PuTTY alternative, SuperPuTTY is an add-on that changes how PuTTY looks. It also brings several additional features that are missing from the original PuTTY implementation.
10 Best PuTTY Alternatives for SSH Remote Connection
SuperPuTTY requires you to install the original PuTTY for the application to install and run. Besides that, the SuperPuTTY is an advanced PuTTY version with secure SSH connection protection with SCP and SFTP file transfers.
Source: www.tecmint.com
Looking for MobaXterm Alternative? Here are Some Options to Consider
Putty is a popular SSH and telnet client for Windows. It's lightweight, fast, and easy to use. Putty offers all the basic features you need for remote desktop access, including SSH, telnet, rlogin, and raw TCP connections. It also has a built-in serial console for connecting to serial ports. However, Putty doesn't have advanced features like file transfer, X11 forwarding,...
Top 10 Best MobaXterm Alternatives for Windows, macOS & Linux In 2021
PuTTY is, without a reservation, the top SSH customer that we can discover for Windows. Light and really basic, this customer satisfies its function: to enable us to connect to any Windows or Linux server from another location to manage it safely through the Internet. In addition, it has a series of alternatives that permit us to configure, for example, the look or conserve...
The 10 Best Linux Terminal Emulators
The list is by no means exhaustive in any way. There are many Linux terminal emulators with dedicated following and users. Other terminal emulators that could have easily made it into my list include; xfce4-terminal, PuTTY, Tilda, or Yakuake. The default terminal emulator in Linux distros is always good enough for many users. Nailing down a favorite emulator requires you to...

Windows Command Prompt Reviews

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What are some alternatives?

When comparing PuTTY and Windows Command Prompt, you can also consider the following products

MobaXterm - Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more

PowerShell - Download WMF. Windows Management Framework contains the latest versions of PowerShell, DSC, WMI, and WinRM for older versions of Windows. PowerShell Module Browser. Search for PowerShell modules and cmdlets.

KiTTY - KiTTY is a fork from version 0.70 of PuTTY. It adds extra features to PuTTY.

Cygwin - Cygwin is a set of tools that provide Linux and POSIX functionality to Windows.

ConEmu - ConEmu-Maximus5 is a full-featured local terminal for Windows devs, admins and users. Get better console window with tabs, splits, Quake style, copy+paste, DosBox and PuTTY integration, and much more.

iTerm2 - A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.