Bast.sh/MobaXterm
Bast vs MobaXterm
MobaXterm is a Windows Swiss-army kit: SSH, X11, sniffers, and a pile of network tools in one installer. Bast is narrower on purpose: a terminal-native OpenSSH host picker.
| Topic | Bast | MobaXterm |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Focused SSH host/key/SFTP TUI | Broad Windows toolbox (SSH, X11, network utilities) |
| Platform | macOS, Linux, and Windows 11 terminals | Windows-first desktop app |
| SSH stack | System OpenSSH | Embedded SSH session engine inside MobaXterm |
| Host storage | ~/.ssh/config as source of truth | Sessions inside the MobaXterm workspace |
| Cloud hosts | CLIs for GCP, AWS, Azure, and Box; APIs for Hetzner, Upstash, and Vercel | Mostly manual session setup |
| Licensing | Free MIT open source | Free Home edition with limits; Professional is paid |
| Automation | CLI + --json for scripts and agents | Desktop-oriented workflows |
Toolbox vs specialized tool
MobaXterm's pitch is breadth. One Windows download covers remote terminals, file transfer, X11 forwarding, and a long list of network utilities. That is useful when your machine is Windows and you want a single vendor suite.
Bast's pitch is depth on one job: make OpenSSH hosts fast to find, organize, and reach without leaving the terminal. It does not try to replace Wireshark, an X server, or a general Windows admin console.
Config you can share with everything else
MobaXterm sessions live inside MobaXterm. That is convenient until you need the same inventory in a shell script, a remote editor, or a teammate's pure OpenSSH setup.
Bast reads and extends ~/.ssh/config. Hosts stay portable. Delete Bast and nothing about your SSH connectivity is stranded in a proprietary session store.
Licensing without edition math
MobaXterm's Home edition is free with constraints; Professional unlocks the broader commercial feature set. For teams, that turns into license tracking.
Bast is MIT-licensed. The host picker, SFTP, cloud import, vault sync of Bast-managed state, and JSON CLI are not sitting behind a paid edition gate.
Cloud fleets and agent workflows
Bast can import live hosts from GCP, AWS, Azure, and box.ascii.dev through the CLIs you already authenticate, and from Hetzner Cloud, Upstash Box, and Vercel Sandbox over their APIs. Synced hosts stay read-only reflections of cloud inventory.
The same binary exposes bast --json for scripts and AI agents. MobaXterm is built for operators clicking through a Windows desktop. Bast is built for operators who type, automate, and stay in the shell.
When MobaXterm is still the better choice
Stay on MobaXterm if:
- You need one Windows suite that also covers X11 and assorted network tools.
- Your workplace standardizes on MobaXterm sessions and training.
- You want an integrated X server and Unix utility bundle on Windows.
- You want a graphical multi-tab Windows terminal more than an OpenSSH-native TUI.
Bast is the better MobaXterm alternative when the real need is OpenSSH host management in the terminal, not a full Windows admin toolkit.
Switching from MobaXterm to Bast
- Export or rewrite important sessions as OpenSSH config host blocks under
~/.ssh/config. - Move keys into standard OpenSSH files if they currently live only inside the MobaXterm environment.
- Install Bast on macOS, Linux, or Windows 11 and verify connections with the system
sshbinary. - Turn on Vault and cloud sync if you want encrypted multi-machine state and live cloud inventory.
Install Bast
One command. Then run bast and connect with the OpenSSH you already trust.
curl -fsSL https://bast.sh/install | shLatest release v0.10.2
Prefer the short version? See the Bast homepage or read the docs.