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TermFlow vs Tabby
Tabby (formerly Terminus) has the most complete SSH connection manager of anything we compare against — jump hosts, agent forwarding, SFTP, a decade of polish. TermFlow trades that for a first-party HTTP API and MCP server built for agents, native, on the same three platforms.
Two philosophies.
Tabby
The power-user SSH & serial client.
A deeply configurable, cross-platform terminal with a proper SSH2 connection manager (jump hosts, agent forwarding, X11/port forwarding), SFTP and Zmodem transfers, a serial console, and a large plugin ecosystem. If remote infrastructure is your daily driver, it's one of the most capable free clients around.
TermFlow
The terminal built for agents, not just SSH.
We don't have Tabby's SSH connection manager — yet. What we ship instead: a documented HTTP API and a first-party MCP server any agent can call, plus Canvas Mode, Automations, and Snippets, natively, without installing a plugin.
Feature by feature.
| Capability | TermFlow | Tabby |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows · macOS · Linux | Windows · macOS · Linux |
| SSH connection manager (jump hosts, agent forwarding) | — | Yes ★ |
| SFTP / Zmodem file transfer | — | Yes ★ |
| Serial console | — | Yes ★ |
| Split panes & saved layouts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Session restore | ✓ | ✓ |
| Canvas Mode (visual terminal graph) | ✓ | — |
| Automations (output rules, timers, webhooks) | ✓ | — |
| Snippets (reusable commands) | ✓ | Community plugin (Quick Commands) |
| Full REST / WebSocket API | ✓ | Community project only (unofficial) |
| Built-in MCP server | First-party | Community plugin |
| Mature & battle-tested | Early access | Since 2016 ★ |
| Free & open source | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
Where Tabby wins
Tabby earns its following honestly: its SSH connection manager is the most complete of anything we compare against — jump hosts, agent forwarding, X11 and port forwarding, SFTP and Zmodem transfers, even a dedicated serial console and a web client for reaching the same hosts remotely. A decade of development shows. We don't have an equivalent SSH profile manager today — if remote infrastructure work is your daily driver, Tabby's depth there is real and we won't pretend otherwise. What we add is the agent layer Tabby doesn't ship natively: a documented HTTP API and a first-party MCP server (Tabby's MCP support is a community plugin, not built-in), plus Canvas Mode, Automations, and Snippets shipped in the app rather than assembled from its plugin ecosystem.
Common questions.
Does TermFlow have Tabby's SSH manager?
Not yet — Tabby's jump-host, agent-forwarding, and SFTP tooling is more mature than anything we offer today. If a dedicated SSH connection manager is your top priority, Tabby is the stronger pick right now.
Doesn't Tabby already have an MCP plugin?
Yes, a community-maintained one. TermFlow ships MCP and a documented HTTP API first-party, so every agent gets the same supported contract without installing anything.
Is TermFlow open source?
Yes, Apache-2.0 — the full terminal, API and MCP server included, is free on your machine. See pricing.