Complete Server Control.
No subscriptions, no stranger clouds.
Modern cross-platform SSH & SFTP client with 2x2 matrix tiling, Prod Guard environment defense, native MCP server, and self-hosted E2EE sync.
Full-featured terminal to keep you productive
Connect with one-click & Live RTT Ping
Instant access to your infrastructure without re-entering passwords. Real-time latency dots (<50ms, <200ms, offline) polled directly on host cards.
2x2 Matrix Splits & Broadcast Input
Split your terminal into 2, 3, or 4 panes in a single tab. Enable Broadcast Input to run updates or diagnostics across an entire server cluster simultaneously.
Prod Guard & Contextual Protection
Real-time interception of destructive commands (rm -rf, DROP DATABASE, truncate) on PROD environments. Configurable session recording policies for production servers.
L/R SSH Tunnels & Integrated SFTP
Visual local and remote port forwarding with one-click toggles. Full dual-pane file manager directly inside the active session.
Why Engineers Choose Shellit
No marketing tricks: transparent comparison of real capabilities and pricing
| Feature / Capability | Shellit Open Source | Termius | PuTTY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pricing & License Terms transparency and usage cost | 100% Free & Open Source | Starter — Free, Pro ($120/yr), Team ($20/mo) | Free / Open Source |
| Cross-Device Synchronization Transfer servers and keys to phone, laptop, or home workstation | Self-Hosted E2EE server (Docker, <20 MB RAM) | Pro only ($120/yr in proprietary cloud) | None (manual registry export) |
| Privacy & Zero-Knowledge Who has access to your SSH keys and host credentials | 100% Zero-Knowledge (Argon2id + AES-256 GCM) | Termius Cloud + product telemetry | Plain Windows registry without encryption |
| Prod Guard (Destructive Defense) Command interception for rm -rf, DROP TABLE with confirm prompts | Built-in (color zones + physical interception) | Not available on any tier | None |
| Live Host RTT Ping Continuous latency monitoring directly on server cards | Built-in (<50ms green / <200ms / offline) | None | None |
| Startup Snippets (Auto-Run) Execute initialization scripts and aliases immediately on login | In Development (Coming soon, free) | Pro tier only ($120/yr) | None |
| AI Integration Generate scripts, commands, and diagnose logs with neural networks | Gemini Chat BYOK (your own key, encrypted in Vault) | Autocomplete (via closed Termius servers) | None |
| Model Context Protocol (MCP Server) Direct terminal control via Claude Desktop / Cursor / Antigravity | Native embedded MCP server | No protocol support | None |
| Open Plugin SDK (.shellit) Ability to write custom extensions and widgets | Yes (TypeScript / HTML / CSS sandbox) | Closed ecosystem (no plugins) | None |
| Matrix Splits (Split Panes) Divide screen into multiple concurrent terminals | Up to 4 panes (2x2) + Broadcast Input free | Up to 16 panes (Broadcast Input Pro only) | None (individual detached windows only) |
Your Own Sync Server.
Your keys never touch stranger clouds.
Termius charges $120/year to sync data across devices and stores your infrastructure data in proprietary clouds. Shellit includes an autonomous E2EE sync daemon deployed in 1 minute on your own VPS or home lab.
Client-side encryption (Argon2id + AES-256). The sync server only sees blind binary blobs and cannot read hosts or passwords.
Lightweight Dart & embedded SQLite stack. Runs smoothly even on a Raspberry Pi or low-end VPS.
Works behind Nginx/Caddy, inside WireGuard / Tailscale, or in private enterprise LANs.
Instant push notifications: edit a host on your PC, updated on your phone in 100ms.
version: '3.8'
services:
shellit-sync:
image: ghcr.io/shellit/sync-server:latest
container_name: shellit-sync
restart: unless-stopped
ports:
- "8080:8080"
volumes:
- ./data:/data
environment:
- PORT=8080
- DATA_PATH=/data/shellit-sync.db
- REGISTRATION_TOKEN=your-secret-tokenAI Without Markup & Open Protocol Gateway
Direct access to Google Gemini using your personal key (BYOK) and native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP)
Gemini Snippet Generator (BYOK)
Forget complex awk, find, or iptables flags. Describe your task in natural language — the built-in Gemini chat generates the command, explains each argument, and pastes it into the terminal with one click.
- Bring Your Own Key: Personal API key encrypted inside your Vault
- Model choice: ultra-fast gemini-3.1-flash-lite or powerful gemini-2.5-pro
- One-click save directly to your snippet library
Native Model Context Protocol Server
Shellit is the first SSH client acting as a fully compliant MCP server. Your external AI assistants (Claude Desktop, Cursor, Antigravity) connect directly to Shellit to inspect and troubleshoot remote infrastructure.
- Tools: shellit_exec_command, shellit_get_buffer, shellit_list_servers
- Permission control: strict auditing and confirmation of destructive actions
- Operates via local secure JSON-RPC / SSE transport
Extend Your Terminal for Any Workflow
Build .shellit extensions using standard web technologies: TypeScript, React, Vue, or vanilla HTML/CSS.
Model Context Protocol Server
Native MCP server for integration with Cursor, Claude Desktop, and Antigravity.
mcp_server.shellit Docker Container Monitor
Visual container dashboard on remote servers: status, CPU/RAM telemetry, one-click restart.
docker_monitor.shellit Community Language Packs
Community-driven UI localization packs for Shellit.
i18n_pack.shellit Want to create your own Shellit plugin?
Sandboxed WebView IPC environment with access to SSH PTY streams, terminal buffers, and SFTP.
Experience server management built for developers
Install Shellit in seconds or build from open source. No accounts, tracking, or forced subscriptions.