Termius alternative
A Termius alternative that speaks more than SSH
Termius made cross-device SSH mainstream. Tempest takes the same idea further: RDP and VNC desktops, Kubernetes clusters, game-server RCON, serial consoles, and S3 buckets — all in one end-to-end encrypted app, with a pay-once lifetime option and a self-hosted edition for teams that can't ship credentials to someone else's cloud.
Free plan available. Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS & Web.
Tempest vs Termius
Both sync your SSH life across devices. Here's where the paths diverge.
| Tempest | Termius | |
|---|---|---|
| Protocols | SSH, Mosh, SFTP, FTP, Telnet, RDP, VNC, RCON, Serial, Kubernetes | SSH, Mosh, SFTP, Telnet |
| Remote desktops (RDP/VNC) | Built in, same grid as your terminals | Not supported |
| Kubernetes | Profiles, multi-cluster, pod shells | Not supported |
| Cloud storage (S3/WebDAV/FTP) | Built-in browser | Not supported |
| End-to-end encryption | Zero-knowledge, all plans | Yes |
| Self-hosted option | Docker & Kubernetes | Cloud only |
| Lifetime license | Yes — pay once | Subscription only |
| AI assistant | Built-in agent with multi-step fixes | AI autocomplete |
Termius comparisons based on publicly documented features of Termius plans as of mid-2026. Check their site for current details.
One app, whole stack
Stop switching apps at the protocol boundary
Real infrastructure isn't SSH-only. The box you manage has a Windows console, an IPMI serial port, a Kubernetes cluster next to it, and an S3 bucket of backups. Tempest keeps all of it in one grid.
Own your data
Self-host the whole sync server
Zero-knowledge encryption on our cloud, or the entire backend on your hardware — your call. Enterprises get SSO, audit logs, and a browser edition their team can use without installing anything.
AI that does, not just suggests
An agent in the terminal, not an autocomplete
Tempest's AI doesn't stop at suggesting a flag. It reads the failing output, proposes the fix, and — with your approval — runs the multi-step recovery, explaining as it goes.
Priced like a tool
Subscription optional
A permanent free plan, a Pro subscription when you want everything — or a lifetime license: pay once, keep it. No feature hostage-taking on the free tier's core SSH.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Tempest sync across devices like Termius?
- Yes — hosts, keys, and settings sync across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, and iOS with zero-knowledge end-to-end encryption. The free plan syncs one device; Pro is unlimited.
- Can I migrate from Termius?
- Export or copy your host list and import your OpenSSH keys into Tempest. Connection profiles take minutes to recreate and then sync everywhere, and if you use an SSH config file, Tempest can work from that too.
- Does Tempest have SSH jump hosts and port forwarding like Termius?
- Yes — bastion chaining, local/remote/dynamic port forwarding, agent forwarding, connection multiplexing, and Mosh are all built in. Jump host guide
- Is there really a lifetime license?
- Yes. Tempest Pro is available as a subscription or a one-time lifetime purchase (AI usage is pay-as-you-go on lifetime). Teams and enterprises use per-seat billing.
- What about teams — vaults, recordings, SSO?
- Tempest Team adds shared encrypted vaults, member management, and session recordings; Enterprise adds SSO/SAML, self-hosting, audit logs, and the browser edition.