How to Install and Use the Free, Cross‑Platform Tabby Terminal with Built‑in SFTP

Tabby is an open‑source terminal emulator hosted on GitHub that has gathered over 20 K stars and supports Windows, macOS (Intel and M1), and Linux with dedicated installers.

Download & Installation

The latest release can be found at https://github.com/Eugeny/tabby/releases/tag/v1.0.164. For macOS Intel users, download the macos‑x86_64.pkg file and double‑click to install; no special prerequisites are required.

Creating an SSH Connection

After launching Tabby, the default "New terminal" button opens a local shell (cmd on Windows, Terminal on macOS). To connect to a remote server, open Settings , select profiles & connections , and click New profile . Choose SSH connection , then fill in the profile name, IP address, port, username, and password. Save the profile and click the run icon to start the remote session.

Using the Built‑in SFTP Panel

Tabby includes an SFTP pane accessible via the SFTP icon. Clicking it displays the remote file system. To download a file, select it and confirm the save dialog. To upload, drag files from the local machine onto the remote directory view.

Customization

Tabby offers numerous themes, font size options, window styles, and shortcut key configurations. Users can explore additional plugins and settings on the project's GitHub page.

Conclusion

After several days of testing, Tabby proved easy to install and use, especially on macOS. Some Windows users report occasional lag when switching terminals, but the macOS experience is smooth. Alternatives like iTerm2 and MobaXterm exist, but Tabby stands out as a free, open‑source solution with integrated SFTP.