Download PuTTY for Windows without guessing which file you need
The PuTTY download page lists close to a dozen files, and most of them are not what a typical Windows user wants. This page explains what each package contains, which one fits your PC, and how to verify the file once it lands in your Downloads folder.
Releases come from the project's own page: the official PuTTY release page. We do not host installers.
Pick your package in three questions
| If this is true | Download this | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Windows 10 or 11 desktop or laptop | 64-bit x86 MSI installer | Installs PuTTY, PuTTYgen, Pageant, PSFTP, PSCP and Plink together. |
| Arm-based Windows laptop | Arm64 MSI installer | Runs natively; the x86 build works only through emulation. |
| No admin rights, or a work laptop with restrictions | Standalone putty.exe | One file, no installation, keeps settings in your user registry hive. |
| Scripting or scheduled transfers only | plink.exe and psftp.exe | Command-line binaries you can drop next to a batch file. |
What the download actually contains
- putty.exe — the terminal window itself, with the session tree and saved profiles.
- puttygen.exe — generates and converts key pairs; see the SSH keys walkthrough.
- pageant.exe — keeps a decrypted private key in memory so you type the passphrase once per Windows session.
- psftp.exe / pscp.exe — text-mode file transfer for people who prefer typing to dragging.
- plink.exe — runs a remote command and exits, which is what you want inside Task Scheduler.
Verify before you run
- Compare the published SHA-256 value with the one PowerShell reports:
Get-FileHash .\putty-64bit-installer.msi. - Open the file's Properties and check the Digital Signatures tab for a valid signature.
- If the hash does not match, delete the file and download again over a different network rather than clicking through the warning.
Search results for terminal software attract look-alike sites that bundle adware. Two habits protect you: start from the vendor's own domain, and never accept an installer that offers unrelated toolbars.
After the download
The MSI takes under a minute. Walk through it with screenshots in the Windows 11 installation guide, then open your first connection using the PuTTY SSH client page. If you would rather have a graphical file pane from the start, compare the options on the Bitvise SSH Client page.