PuTTY, but
on your phone.
There is no official PuTTY for Android — PuTTY is a Windows program, with an unofficial Unix port. If you want the same job done from a phone, this is the shape of the equivalent.
What maps directly
The PuTTY habits transfer almost one for one.
Saved sessions
PuTTY's session list becomes Kammel's saved servers: host, port, user, credential and the tunnels that belong to that server, in one form.
Host key verification
PuTTY's first-connection host key prompt is the same trust-on-first-use model Kammel uses, with OpenSSH-format SHA256 fingerprints you can compare against the server.
Tunnels
PuTTY's Connection → SSH → Tunnels pane maps to local, remote and SOCKS5 forwarding, with live byte counters per tunnel.
PuTTYgen
Key generation is built in: create an ed25519 pair on the phone and copy the public half into authorized_keys.
What is better than PuTTY here
PSCP and PSFTP are separate executables; in Kammel the file explorer and the terminal are the same session. There is also a syntax-highlighting editor, a git panel, a Docker console and a database browser — none of which PuTTY sets out to be.
What PuTTY does that this does not
Kammel is SSH and SFTP. PuTTY also speaks Telnet, Rlogin, raw sockets and serial, and it runs on Windows, which Kammel does not. If you need a serial console or a Windows desktop client, PuTTY remains the right tool.
A terminal that renders properly
The reason most phone SSH apps feel worse than PuTTY is emulation. Kammel implements 256 colours, the alternate screen buffer and mouse reporting, so vim, htop and tmux draw correctly, and it adds Ctrl, Esc, Tab and arrows as programmable tappable key rows.
Kammel vs PuTTY
| Kammel | PuTTY | |
|---|---|---|
| Android | Native Android 8.0+ app | No official Android version |
| Platforms | Android and Linux x86_64 | Windows, plus an unofficial Unix port |
| File transfer | SFTP explorer in the same session | Separate PSCP / PSFTP executables |
| Protocols | SSH and SFTP | SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, raw, serial |
| Key generation | Built in (ed25519) | Separate PuTTYgen tool |
| Code editor | Syntax-highlighting editor over SFTP | Not included |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
PuTTY facts as of August 2026: a Windows application with an unofficial Unix port, maintained by Simon Tatham and distributed free under the MIT licence. There is no official Android release.
Questions
Is there an official PuTTY for Android?
No. PuTTY is a Windows application with an unofficial Unix port. Anything in an app store calling itself PuTTY is not from the PuTTY project.
Can Kammel open my PuTTY .ppk key?
Kammel works with OpenSSH-format keys. A PuTTY .ppk can be converted with PuTTYgen's "Export OpenSSH key", or you can generate a fresh ed25519 key on the phone and add its public half to the server.
Does Kammel support serial connections?
No. Kammel speaks SSH and SFTP. For serial consoles, PuTTY remains the better tool.
Free, open source.
Keep reading
Free SSH Client for Android
Kammel is a free, open-source SSH client for Android: multi-session terminal, SFTP explorer, code editor and port forwarding. No account, no subscription.
Android Terminal Emulator with SSH
A full xterm terminal for Android: 256 colours, alternate screen buffer, mouse reporting, sticky modifiers and programmable key rows. Free and open source.
JuiceSSH Alternative for Android
JuiceSSH was unpublished from Google Play in December 2025 and last updated in 2021. Kammel is a free, open-source, actively developed replacement for Android.