MXterm Pro vs Termius
If your hosts must follow you to a phone or a second machine, stay with Termius. It has cloud sync and mobile apps. MXterm Pro has no cloud sync, and its phone apps are still in testing (Android test build, iPhone beta). If you work at one Mac or Windows PC and want SSH and SFTP plus several AI coding agents in one window, MXterm Pro fits, with a one-time price instead of a subscription.
Both have a free tier with SSH and SFTP, so you can try either before paying. The Termius details below were checked on termius.com in September 2026 and can change.
Who should pick which
Stay with Termius if
- You open servers from an iPhone, iPad or Android device. Termius ships apps for all three.
- You want hosts, keys and snippets to sync across desktop and mobile without doing anything. That is what its Pro plan sells.
- You need a Linux desktop app. Termius offers a .DEB download; MXterm Pro has no Linux release.
- Your team wants a shared vault and real-time collaboration. Termius sells that on its Team plan; MXterm Pro has no shared host list.
Pick MXterm Pro if
- You run Claude Code, Codex or Gemini CLI next to your SSH sessions and want them in one window.
- You would rather pay once. A license is one-time, and the free tier has no time limit.
- You want to edit remote files in a full code editor, with chmod and remote search, inside the same window as the shell.
- You already keep hosts in ~/.ssh/config and want an app that runs the same ssh command you would type.
Side by side
Termius facts (platforms, plan names, prices and plan contents) were read on termius.com/pricing, termius.com and termius.com/download in September 2026. Plans change; check its site for today's terms.
What you give up without sync and mobile
Termius Pro keeps hosts, keys and snippets identical on every device you own, phones included. MXterm Pro has no sync and no account to sign in to. Each machine keeps its own list of saved hosts in local app storage, and a license allows between 3 and 100 devices depending on the plan.
With two computers you copy by hand. Keep your ~/.ssh/config in a dotfiles repo and import it on each machine, or re-add hosts in the SSH manager. If that sounds tedious, it is, and it is the main reason to keep Termius.
What each one costs, as of September 2026
Termius lists a free Starter plan with a local vault, SSH and SFTP, AI-powered autocomplete and port forwarding. Pro is $10 per month when paid annually and adds a personal cloud vault, sync across mobile and desktop, session logs and snippets automation. Team is $20 per seat per month on annual billing.
MXterm Pro sells one-time licenses at today's listed prices: Solo from $29 for 3 devices, Team from $59 for 10, Startup from $99 for 30 and Max from $199 for 100. The plans differ only in device count, not in features. See the pricing page for the current numbers.
Compare what the money buys as well as the amount. Termius Pro buys sync and snippets. MXterm Pro's paid tier lifts the Free limits, such as 5 saved hosts, and it adds no sync. If you need neither, either free tier may be all you ever use.
How SSH sessions work in MXterm Pro
Connecting from the SSH manager opens a tab whose terminal runs the system ssh command with keepalive and connection sharing turned on. Your keys, your ssh-agent and OpenSSH behavior carry over, and the file panel reuses the same login for about 10 minutes.
Saved hosts take a jump host (-J, chains allowed) and optional agent forwarding, which is off by default. MXterm Pro does not type a password for you: you enter it once at the ssh prompt. Termius runs its own client instead, with hosts held in its vault.
The host form can also save a password. It is kept in the operating system's credential store, such as the macOS Keychain, and never in the app's host list file. In 1.1.11 it is only stored there; you still type it at the ssh prompt. The rest of a host entry stays in local app storage on that device and is not part of the telemetry ping.
AI agents next to your servers
This is the gap MXterm Pro is built for. The Control Room puts several agent panes in one room so you can send prompts to the members from one box. Tick Isolate features in git worktrees and each agent gets its own git worktree under .worktrees in the repo. Free allows 2 members per room.
A worktree lowers the chance that two agents overwrite each other's files. It is not a sandbox. An agent pane is a real shell with your permissions, so read the safety page before you point one at a production box. Termius lists AI-powered autocomplete; agent rooms are not on its pricing page.
Which one for your setup
One Mac, a handful of servers and a few coding agents: MXterm Pro's free tier is likely enough, since it has no pane limit and allows 5 saved hosts. A laptop, a desktop and a phone with dozens of hosts: Termius Pro, because sync is the whole point there.
On call from your phone, or sharing one host list across a team: Termius. Windows first: both offer an installer, but MXterm Pro's Windows build is unsigned, so try it on your own hosts before you rely on it.
SFTP: free in both
Termius includes SFTP in its free Starter plan, so price does not separate them here. MXterm Pro docks one SFTP panel beside an SSH tab. You can browse, queue uploads and downloads, and open text files up to 5 MB in a Monaco editor that checks the modified time before it saves.
It also sets permissions with a chmod matrix and runs a literal-text search on the server. The panel is one remote view, not a dual-pane manager, and it has no local side. The SFTP page covers the details, and the SSH client roundup compares more tools.
Switching from Termius, step by step
- Try the free tier first. Download the .dmg and open it. Free needs no account, and Termius can stay installed while you check that your hosts work.
- Import ~/.ssh/config if you have one. Press Shift+Cmd+H for the SSH manager and choose Import. Each Host block becomes a saved host from its HostName, User, Port and first IdentityFile. Wildcard blocks are skipped and hosts land in a group called Imported.
- Re-enter what the import skips. It does not read ProxyJump, so set jump hosts by hand. It also reads only one key file per host and tells you which others it ignored. MobaXterm session files and a JSON host list import the same way.
- No config file? Add hosts by hand. Fill in name, host, port, user, default remote folder and one group. Pick a login of password, key file, keyboard-interactive or agent. There is no Termius importer today.
- Watch the 5-host cap on Free. Imports add hosts one by one and stop at the limit with an upgrade prompt. The hosts already added stay.
- Connect. The tab runs ssh, and the file panel docks beside it. If the link drops, the screen stays and Enter reconnects. For agents, press Cmd+T, pick a folder and an agent per pane, and tick "Isolate features in git worktrees".
- Replace snippets with your own scripts. There is no saved-snippet library. Shell aliases or scripts on the server work, and Command Recipes (Cmd+J) covers a fixed set of stock commands such as disk usage and open ports.
Managing dozens of servers? The 50-server guide shows how groups, the keychain and the stats bar hold up at that size.
Limits and caveats
- Windows is unsigned. The x64 installer shows an Unknown publisher warning in SmartScreen. Whether SSH and SFTP work correctly on Windows is unverified, so test it on your own hosts before you pay for anything.
- Free limits. Free has no pane limit and allows 5 saved SSH hosts, 2 Control Room members per room and 1 saved Machine. Those numbers are defaults built into the app, and mxterm.net can override them. Hitting one opens an upgrade prompt when you create something. Layouts you already have are never closed.
- Missing on purpose. There is no cloud sync, shared vault or saved-snippet library, and the phone apps are still in testing. Mosh is not supported either, and Termius lists it among its protocols. Only local forwards exist: no remote (-R) or dynamic (-D) forwards.
- Agents are real shells. An agent pane can run any command you could. Worktree isolation reduces collisions between agents and does not stop a bad command.
- What leaves the machine. Saved hosts stay local. Official builds send a daily ping with version, Free or Pro, OS and launch count, plus a few redacted failure events. You can turn it off in Settings, Privacy.
- No Linux build. The code has Linux paths, but no Linux release exists.
FAQ
Does MXterm Pro sync hosts across devices like Termius?
No. MXterm Pro has no sync and no cloud account. Each device keeps its own saved hosts. A license can be activated on 3 to 100 devices depending on the plan, but activating it does not copy your hosts between them.
Can I import my Termius hosts into MXterm Pro?
There is no Termius importer. MXterm Pro imports OpenSSH config files, MobaXterm session files, iTerm2 profile exports (SSH hosts only) and a JSON host list. If your Termius hosts also live in ~/.ssh/config you can import that file. Otherwise add them by hand in the SSH manager.
Is there an MXterm Pro app for iPhone or Android?
Not a finished one. Android has an early test build (an APK on the download page) and iPhone is in beta. Neither is in a store yet. Any phone browser also works: you start a host server on a Mac that runs MXterm Pro, share a pane and open it from the browser. It reaches panes on that Mac. It is not a general SSH client for your phone.
Is MXterm Pro cheaper than Termius?
Both have free tiers with SSH and SFTP. For paid use, Termius Pro was $10 per month on annual billing in September 2026, and MXterm Pro is a one-time license from $29. They buy different things, though: Termius Pro buys sync and snippets, and MXterm Pro's paid tier lifts limits.
Which is better for a small team?
If the team needs shared hosts, Termius. Its Team plan lists one team vault and real-time collaboration at $20 per seat per month on annual billing. MXterm Pro Team is a one-time license for 10 devices, with no shared vault and no shared host list.
Does MXterm Pro have anything like Termius snippets?
No saved library. Command Recipes (Cmd+J) turns a few typed words into one of a fixed set of stock shell commands. It uses a keyword table and no AI model, and you cannot add your own commands to it.
What happens when I reach a Free limit?
Creating the next saved host or Control Room member opens an upgrade prompt, and nothing is created. Everything you already have keeps working. SFTP, the editor, multi-window and session restore have no Pro gate.
Is the Windows version ready to rely on?
Windows support is new. The x64 installer is unsigned, so Windows warns about an unknown publisher. SSH and SFTP on Windows are untested. Try the free tier on your own hosts first.
Try MXterm Pro free
Unlimited panes, 5 saved SSH hosts, 1 saved Machine, a 2-agent Control Room (formerly War Room) and remote control with 1 paired computer: no credit card, no account required.
Ask AI about MXterm Pro
Open a live answer in ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity, based on this page. The assistant writes it, not us, so check the sources it cites.
Question sentHow does MXterm Pro compare with Termius, and where does Termius fit better?