SSH, Mosh, SFTP, FTP, S3 and WebDAV cost nothing, permanently, on one synced device — which covers a Chromebook used on its own. Running the Android app and the Crostini build against one host list means two synced devices, which is Pro.

Which option should I pick?

If Linux is available on your Chromebook, install the .deb — it is the full desktop client. If it is not, or the device is managed, use the Android app from Play.

Does the Android app work with a hardware keyboard?

Yes, including the control and escape keys. That is the normal way to use it on a Chromebook.

Will Crostini work on an ARM Chromebook?

Yes — there are aarch64 builds of the deb, rpm and AppImage.

Can I use the same host list on all three?

That is the point of the account: hosts and credentials sync end-to-end encrypted, so the Android app and the Linux build show the same list.

Is there a Chrome extension?

No, and there will not be — an extension cannot give you a correct terminal or real file transfer. The three routes above all run the actual client.

SSH on ChromeOS

A Chromebook is a perfectly good terminal

ChromeOS gives you three different runtimes, and Tempest ships for all three: the Android app, the Linux desktop build inside the Crostini container, and the browser client. They share one encrypted host list, so it does not matter which one you open.

Download Tempest See pricing

Play Store, Crostini (.deb), or browser. Free plan available.

Tempest running across desktop, browser and Android form factors

Option one

The Android app, from the Play Store

The simplest route, and the one that works on every Chromebook including the locked-down school and work fleets where Linux is switched off.

Runs in a resizable window alongside Chrome, with a hardware keyboard.

Full terminal, SFTP, port forwarding, RDP, VNC, Kubernetes and RCON.

Mosh keeps the session alive when the lid closes or the wifi changes. Mosh guide

Option two

The Linux build, inside Crostini

If your Chromebook has the Linux development environment enabled, the container is Debian — so the same .deb everyone else installs works here.

Install the .deb, or add the signed APT repository and get updates with apt.

x86_64 and aarch64 builds, so ARM Chromebooks are covered.

This is the full desktop client — split screens, the SFTP editor, snippets and all. Split screens

The full Tempest desktop workspace, as it runs inside the ChromeOS Linux container

Option three

Nothing installed at all

If your organisation runs a Tempest server, the browser client is a URL — which is often the only thing a managed Chromebook will allow.

The whole workspace in a tab: terminal, SFTP, and the synced host list. Web SSH client

Self-hosted with Docker or Kubernetes, or managed with Tempest Enterprise. Self-hosted Tempest

Same zero-knowledge encrypted profiles as the installed apps. How E2EE works

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?: SSH, Mosh, SFTP, FTP, S3 and WebDAV cost nothing, permanently, on one synced device — which covers a Chromebook used on its own. Running the Android app and the Crostini build against one host list means two synced devices, which is Pro.
Which option should I pick?: If Linux is available on your Chromebook, install the .deb — it is the full desktop client. If it is not, or the device is managed, use the Android app from Play.
Does the Android app work with a hardware keyboard?: Yes, including the control and escape keys. That is the normal way to use it on a Chromebook.
Will Crostini work on an ARM Chromebook?: Yes — there are aarch64 builds of the deb, rpm and AppImage.
Can I use the same host list on all three?: That is the point of the account: hosts and credentials sync end-to-end encrypted, so the Android app and the Linux build show the same list.
Is there a Chrome extension?: No, and there will not be — an extension cannot give you a correct terminal or real file transfer. The three routes above all run the actual client.

Keep exploring

SSH client for Android SSH client for Linux Web SSH client Free SSH client SFTP client

Chrome OS is not a reason to borrow someone else's laptop.

Download Tempest Read the docs