SheepTerm vs MobaXterm

MobaXterm is an all-in-one toolbox for Windows: many protocols, an X11 server, a graphical SFTP browser and Unix tools in one portable program. SheepTerm is a free terminal for network engineers that runs on a Mac as well as on Windows, focused on SSH, serial consoles and readable device output.

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Last checked: 2026-10. MobaXterm facts are taken from the vendor pages listed under Sources; confirm current prices and features there before you buy.

SheepTerm and MobaXterm side by side

SheepTerm compared with MobaXterm
	SheepTerm	MobaXterm
Price	Free.	Home Edition is free, limited to 12 sessions, 2 SSH tunnels and 4 macros. Professional is $69 / 49 EUR per user excluding tax, with unlimited sessions, 12 months of updates and a lifetime right to use.
Platforms	macOS 26.4+ (Apple Silicon) and Windows 10/11 x64. Linux planned.	Windows only (it describes itself as a Windows application). Portable and installer editions.
Licence	Mac app: MIT, source on GitHub. Windows build: free, source not published.	Commercial; free Home Edition.
Protocols	SSH, serial, local shell, device web pages in tabs.	SSH, Telnet, Rlogin, RDP, VNC, XDMCP, FTP, SFTP, Serial and Mosh.
X11	No.	Embedded X server with X11 forwarding.
File transfer	None built in.	A graphical SFTP browser opens beside SSH sessions.
Jump host	Yes, one hop. Type user@host or pick a saved SSH host in the “Via jump host” field.	“SSH gateway” for SSH, Telnet, RDP and VNC sessions.
Serial console	Baud 9600 to 230400, fixed 8N1, no flow control. Send Break.	Serial sessions are supported.
Automation	Snippets with variables; Broadcast to Tabs.	Macros, multi-execution on many servers, a text editor and Unix tools.
Highlighting	Built-in packs for ten network device families; colours fixed.	Syntax highlighting with definitions you can write yourself.
Passwords	Stored in one item in the macOS Keychain on the Mac; encrypted vault on Windows.	Saved with a master password.

Which one should you choose?

Choose MobaXterm if…

You work on Windows and need an X11 server, RDP, VNC or XDMCP in the same window.
You want a graphical SFTP browser that follows each SSH session.
You want Unix tools such as grep, rsync and ssh built into the app.
You want to write your own highlighting definitions.

Choose SheepTerm if…

You are on a Mac. MobaXterm does not run there, and SheepTerm is a native Mac app.
You do not want session limits, even on the free tier.
Your devices are switches, routers and firewalls, and you want the output coloured by vendor automatically.
You want searchable logs and optional encrypted sync between machines.

What to know about SheepTerm before you switch

It is young and narrow on purpose. SheepTerm does SSH, serial consoles, a local shell and device web pages in tabs. It has no SFTP file browser, Telnet, X11, RDP/VNC, port-forwarding manager or scripting engine.
The Mac app is not notarized. It is signed with a self-signed certificate, so on first launch you right-click the app and choose Open (or clear the quarantine flag once). It needs macOS 26.4 or later on Apple Silicon.
The Windows app is version 0.1. It is an unsigned portable zip, so SmartScreen may warn on first run (More info, then Run anyway). Its serial support has not yet been checked by the author on real COM hardware.
Licence. The Mac app is MIT-licensed and its source is on GitHub. The Windows build is free to use; its source is not published.
Linux is planned but not available yet.

Questions

Is there a MobaXterm for Mac?

MobaXterm describes itself as a Windows application, so there is no native Mac version. SheepTerm is a free native Mac terminal for SSH and serial consoles, but it does not include an X11 server, RDP or VNC.

Does SheepTerm have a jump host like MobaXterm's SSH gateway?

Yes, for SSH hosts: one hop. In New SSH Connection or Edit Host, type user@host in the Via jump host field or pick a saved host. See the jump host guide.

Is SheepTerm limited in the number of sessions?

No. SheepTerm has no session, tunnel or macro limits. It also has no SFTP, X11 or RDP, which are the reasons many people use MobaXterm.

Try SheepTerm alongside MobaXterm