Looking for a Termius alternative on Mac? Here’s the honest comparison

Termius is a capable SSH client — and for a lot of people, a monthly subscription for an SSH client just doesn’t sit right. If that’s what brought you here, this is the honest version of the comparison, including the cases where Termius is the better choice.

Where Sshly wins

• Pricing. Sshly is free for up to 3 connections, and a single one-time purchase unlocks unlimited — with lifetime updates. No monthly bill for the privilege of opening a terminal.
• Mac-first. Sshly is built only for macOS: Keychain for secrets, native menu bar behavior, and a UI that follows Mac conventions instead of a cross-platform lowest common denominator.
• AI integration. Sshly is an MCP server — Claude Code and other AI tools can run commands over your saved connections without ever seeing your credentials. Nothing comparable exists in Termius.
• Privacy. Your connection data stays on your Mac. No account required, no cloud sync you didn’t ask for, no telemetry.

Where Termius wins

Honesty cuts both ways:

• Cross-platform. Windows, Linux, iOS, Android — if you live on multiple platforms, Termius has you covered and Sshly (today) does not. macOS only.
• Team features. Shared vaults and team management are mature in Termius. Sshly’s team sharing is still on the roadmap.
• Mobile. There is no Sshly for iPhone yet.

The switch

If you’re Mac-based and mostly work solo, the trade is simple: you give up cross-platform sync and get back a native app, your privacy, and your subscription money. A Termius import assistant is on our roadmap — until then, adding your handful of servers takes a few minutes.

Download Sshly free → — no signup, up to 3 connections.