Why Tabby Is the Ultimate Open‑Source Terminal for Developers

Chat about Xshell

Previously I used Xshell for Linux VMs, which is free only for non‑commercial use and requires a separate Xftp for FTP transfers.

Tabby Overview

Tabby is a modern, open‑source, cross‑platform terminal client for Windows, macOS and Linux, boasting over 20k stars on GitHub.

Installation

Download the portable Windows package from the GitHub releases page, extract, and run Tabby.exe.

Usage

Tabby supports SSH, SFTP, PowerShell and Git commands.

SSH

Open Settings, create a new profile, select the SSH connection template, enter host and credentials, then click the run button to connect.

SFTP

Use the built‑in SFTP button to browse remote files, download them to Windows, or drag files into Tabby to upload.

PowerShell

Tabby can launch PowerShell sessions, allowing Windows CMD commands like ls to work.

Git

Open a Git profile to run Git commands such as git status directly in Tabby.

Settings

Appearance

Adjust terminal font size under Appearance.

Color Scheme

Tabby supports many color schemes; select one via Color Scheme.

Hotkeys

View or modify shortcuts in Hotkeys.

Window Theme

Change the overall theme under Window.

Plugin Support

Tabby’s functionality can be extended with plugins; install them via Plugins .

clickable‑links – makes URLs, IPs and paths clickable.

docker – connects to Docker container shells.

title‑control – manages window title placement.

sync‑config – syncs configuration to GitHub or Gitee.

theme‑windows10 – Windows 10‑specific theme.

Conclusion

Tabby is a free, open‑source terminal with rich themes, powerful features, and extensible plugins, making it a strong alternative to traditional tools.