SecureCRT review

SecureCRT is VanDyke Software’s terminal emulation and session-management software for secure remote access. Its main job is to organize connections and provide a terminal for working with remote systems. The homepage highlights advanced session management and support for multiple protocols, but does not name those protocols.

That makes it relevant to IT staff and other users who connect to and administer servers, routers, or network services. The product description positions it as a tool for maintaining and configuring those systems, not as a general-purpose remote desktop manager.

VanDyke says every release can be evaluated free of charge. That is not the same as a permanent free plan: the pricing information lists paid licenses and does not specify how long an evaluation lasts. Licenses are one-time purchases rather than monthly or annual subscriptions, and the listed prices include either one or three years of updates and support.

Session organization is the clearest reason to pay for SecureCRT. In a Reddit discussion, a user who had managed hundreds of hosts praised its tabbed consoles and stability. Other commenters describe using it regularly for work, including one who said they had used it since 2005. Those are user reports, not a guarantee that it will suit every workflow.

The product also supports multiple protocols, although VanDyke’s homepage does not name them. A commenter on r/networking describes using SecureCRT for Telnet, serial connections, SFTP, and scripts. Users in another thread mention session logging, timestamps, and sending a command to multiple open sessions through the chat window. Those features can matter to network administrators handling repeated tasks across devices.

The pricing page lists a one-time price of $119 for one license with one year of updates and support, or $190 with three years. Per-license prices fall for larger orders: $116 for 2–9 licenses and $114 for 10–24, with one year of updates. For teams buying 25–49 licenses, the listed one-year price is $100 each. These are concrete options for teams that value session management enough to pay upfront.

The main drawback is the price of entry. At $119 for one license with one year of updates and support, SecureCRT costs more than a no-cost SSH client, and buyers need to decide whether its session management and protocol support justify the difference. A Reddit thread about alternatives includes recommendations for MobaXterm, mRemoteNG, PuTTY, and built-in command-line tools; those are user suggestions, not a like-for-like feature comparison.

The purchase is also less predictable for larger rollouts. The pricing page lists discounts through 49 licenses, but says buyers need to contact sales for 50 or more. The $190 one-license option includes three years of updates and support, but the price of renewing or extending support after the included term is not published on the vendor's site.

VanDyke offers free evaluation of every release, but the evaluation period and any feature restrictions are not published here. There is no listed free plan. And while SecureCRT supports multiple protocols, the homepage does not name them, so teams should confirm that their required protocols and workflows are covered before purchasing.

SecureCRT starts at $119 for one license with one year of updates and support. A one-license purchase with three years costs $190. These are one-time, per-order prices, not monthly or annual subscriptions; the pricing details include updates and support for the selected term, but do not publish what renewal costs afterward.

Quantity discounts lower the per-license price: 2–9 licenses cost $116 each with one year or $186 with three; 10–24 cost $114 or $182; and 25–49 cost $100 or $140. The drop from 10–24 to 25–49 licenses is the steepest listed discount, but the three-year option still costs more upfront. For 50 or more licenses, VanDyke requires a sales quote, so there is no published price to compare.

Every release can be evaluated free of charge, but SecureCRT has no free plan. The evaluation period and any post-term update or support costs are not published on the vendor's site.

The published product information describes terminal emulation, session management and multi-protocol support, but it does not say whether SecureCRT can import session settings from another client or export them for a later move. It also does not name the supported protocols. Treat migration effort, configuration portability and any compatibility requirements as questions to confirm with VanDyke before buying; the available details do not establish them.

The licensing model is a one-time purchase with one or three years of updates and support included. That avoids a monthly or annual subscription, but the cost and process for continued updates or support after the included term are not published here. Factor that uncertainty into a switch decision, especially across a large deployment.

We were not given Reddit posts or other user reports about why people leave SecureCRT, so we cannot attribute common switching reasons to users. Before moving away, confirm whether your saved sessions can be exported and tested in the replacement. Before moving in, confirm whether existing connection settings can be imported. Those details are not published on the vendor's site.