AbsoluteTelnet vs Xshell
AbsoluteTelnet
celestialsoftware.netXshell
xshell.comSide by side
| Figure | AbsoluteTelnet | Xshell |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 2 | 4 |
| Spec score · SSH Clients | 8.1 (#8) | 7.6 (#24) |
| Purpose | AbsoluteTelnet is a Telnet and SSH client for Windows with SFTP file transfer and terminal emulation. | Xshell is an SSH terminal with protocols including SFTP, Telnet, and RDP, plus tools for managing sessions. |
| Support | Both license descriptions include free email and web support, and the maker directs users to its forums for help. | One year of updates and technical support is included with the listed perpetual licenses as maintenance. |
| Terminal features | Version 14.23 lists Kitty graphics, keyboard and clipboard protocols, Sixel graphics, modern TUI apps, and Unicode 17 support. | The product supports multiple tabs and tab groups in one window, plus scripting in VB, JScript, and Python. |
Plans
Xshell
- Free licenseFree
- Xshell$119, paid once
- Xshell Plus$139, paid once
- Xmanager Power Suite$399, paid once
In their own words
AbsoluteTelnet
AbsoluteTelnet has no write-up on Specifiction yet; its figures are above.
Xshell
Xshell is a Windows terminal for connecting to remote hosts and managing sessions. It supports SSH1, SSH2, SFTP, Telnet, Rlogin, serial, and RDP, with SFTP and port forwarding among its listed capabilities. Session, quick command, tab, and file managers help organize remote hosts. Users can create command buttons, trigger actions from terminal patterns, compose multiline input, and generate scripts from terminal input and output. Multiple tabs and tab groups can sit in one window; scripting is available in VB, JScript, and Python. Authentication profiles can store authentication variables for one or more sessions, with profile changes reflected in dependent sessions. Security features include public-key, password, and keyboard-interactive authentication, SSH PKCS#11 and CAPI, multiple encryption algorithms, and master-password encryption for saved passwords. Xshell interoperates with Xmanager, Xagent, and Xftp. The free license is restricted to personal, home, and educational use, excluding commercial use. Paid perpetual single-user options include Xshell at $119, paid once, Xshell Plus at $139, paid once, and Xmanager Power Suite at $399, paid once. A 30-day evaluation is offered without a credit card.