Safe PuTTY Download Guide
Independent resource — we do not host PuTTY
Independent resource: Putty.info is not affiliated with, operated by, sponsored by, or endorsed by the official PuTTY project. We never host MSI, EXE, ZIP, or source packages. Every software download should open on the publisher’s own hosts.
PuTTY is free MIT-licensed software maintained by Simon Tatham. The authoritative download index is the project’s latest release page. Package files are published from that page and mirrored on the.earth.li. Putty.info’s release card checks that page, then deep-links the verified installer URLs with the destination hostname shown before you leave.
If our monitor cannot verify the official page confidently, we stop advertising a “verified” version instead of guessing. That fail-closed behavior is intentional.
What most people should download
On a modern Intel or AMD Windows PC, the official project recommends the 64-bit x86 Windows Installer (MSI). For the current stable line that is the file named like putty-64bit-*-installer.msi under the w64 path on the official host. The MSI installs the full suite: PuTTY itself, PSCP, PSFTP, Plink, Pageant, and PuTTYgen (standalone pterm is called out separately on the official page).
Other MSI rows exist for a reason:
- 64-bit Arm — Windows on Arm devices (
putty-arm64-*-installer.msi) - 32-bit x86 — only for very old PCs / Windows builds that cannot run 64-bit packages
- 32-bit Arm — niche IoT-style Windows on Arm environments
Use our which-version guide if you are unsure. Prefer the MSI unless you have a portable/scripted reason to grab individual EXE files.
How the official download page is organized
The official latest.html page is deliberately structured. Understanding that layout stops malware “download” pages from fooling you:
- Package files / MSI — preferred installers for each Windows architecture, each with a GPG signature link.
- Alternative binary files — individual
putty.exe,pscp.exe,psftp.exe,plink.exe,pageant.exe,puttygen.exe, and zip bundles, again per architecture. - Documentation — HTML help, zipped docs, and the browsable PuTTY User Manual.
- Source —
.tar.gz/ Windows source zip and the git repository. - Checksum files — MD5/SHA-1/SHA-256/SHA-512 sum files with signatures.
Fake sites usually collapse this into one giant green “Download” button that serves a bundler. Real PuTTY links are specific filenames and always sit on the publisher’s domains.
Safe download ritual (do this every time)
- Open Putty.info’s verified release card or go directly to the official latest page.
- Confirm the address bar shows
chiark.greenend.org.ukor, after clicking a file,the.earth.liunder the~sgtatham/putty/path. - Choose the MSI that matches your CPU (usually 64-bit x86).
- Optionally download the matching
.gpgsignature and verify with the project’s published keys (signatures guide). - Optionally compare SHA-256 against the published sums file (checksums guide).
- Install, then confirm Help → About shows the expected version before you trust the binary with production hosts.
Never send private keys, passwords, or “activation codes” to any site that claims you need them to finish a PuTTY download. PuTTY does not work that way.
Installer MSI vs standalone EXE vs zip
The MSI is the path of least regret for interactive users: Start Menu shortcuts, consistent paths for Plink/PSCP, and a clean uninstall. Standalone EXE files are useful when you cannot run installers, when you want a single tool on a USB stick, or when a script expects a fixed path. The official zip bundles collect the common utilities for an architecture without the Telnet-only and experimental extras noted on the publisher page.
Read installer vs standalone and standalone binaries before mixing random EXE files from different versions.
Microsoft Store and development snapshots
The project also publishes installers through the Microsoft Store; Store builds can lag the web release by a few days. That lag is normal—not a reason to grab a random third-party copy. Development snapshots exist for testing fixes that are not in the stable line yet. Snapshots are not what Putty.info marks as the verified stable release. See Microsoft Store notes and snapshots.
Fake download warning
Impersonation sites often reuse the word “PuTTY,” add toolbars, force “download managers,” or show a wrong publisher name in the Windows SmartScreen / UAC dialog. Treat any host outside the official allowlist as untrusted. Start with fake download warning, is PuTTY safe?, and download safely.
When you are ready, open the release center on this site for the currently verified stable version and the recommended official installer deep link, or jump straight to the publisher’s latest page.