Bitvise SSH Server

Bitvise SSH Server is server software that runs as a Windows service and listens for incoming SSH connections. Once installed, remote users can open a terminal session on the machine, transfer files over SFTP, SCP or FTPS, and set up port forwarding tunnels to reach other services on the network. Authentication can be tied to existing Windows accounts and groups, or handled through virtual accounts that exist only inside the SSH server, which avoids creating real Windows users for people who only need file access.

Access control is where most of the configuration effort goes. Administrators can build a virtual filesystem that hides the real directory layout and exposes only chosen folders to each account, apply bandwidth limits, restrict which SSH features an account may use, and delegate parts of the configuration to other administrators. The server supports two-factor authentication using time-based one-time codes, public key authentication, and a broad set of key exchange and encryption algorithms, including post-quantum key exchange. It can also serve Git repositories over SSH and provide remote desktop access through a bundled VNC-style mechanism.

The terminal side is built around the Windows console rather than a Unix emulation layer, so it renders colors, Unicode text and large scrollback buffers correctly when driving cmd or PowerShell remotely. Both the graphical control panel and command-line configuration tools are provided, and settings can be exported and imported, which helps when the same setup has to be replicated across several servers. Windows support reaches back a long way, covering current releases alongside older Server and desktop versions.

This is a good fit for organizations that want a supported, commercially maintained SSH and SFTP server on Windows with fine-grained per-account restrictions, and for individuals who need occasional remote access to a home machine. It is less relevant if you only need an SSH client, if the built-in OpenSSH server included with modern Windows already covers your needs, or if your servers run Linux, since this product is Windows-only.