How NetStacks compares
Honest, detailed comparisons with the tools you know. We show where we shine and where others have strengths.
Everything you love about SecureCRT, plus everything it's missing
SecureCRT is a solid, reliable terminal. It handles sessions, tabs, scripting, and SFTP well. But it stops at the terminal. There's no AI, no config automation, no credential proxying, no browser access, no audit logging, and no RBAC.
NetStacks keeps what you love about SecureCRT — session organization, split panes, scripting, jump hosts — and adds everything the modern network engineer needs: an AI assistant that understands your CLI output, config templates, change workflows with pre-checks and post-checks, and a Controller architecture where credentials never touch your laptop.
SecureCRT is a paid per-seat license with no automation, no security architecture, and no path to enterprise features. NetStacks starts free and scales to a full team platform with the Controller.
| Feature | NetStacks | SecureCRT |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal | ||
| Multi-tab SSH sessions | ||
| Session folders & organization | ||
| Split panes | ||
| SFTP file transfer | ||
| Jump host / bastion support | ||
| Python scripting | ||
| Automation | ||
| Jinja config templates | ||
| Methods of Procedures (MOPs) | ||
| Config backups & diff | ||
| Stack deployments | ||
| REST API & plugins | ||
| Security & Enterprise | ||
| Controller-proxied SSH | ||
| Credentials never on endpoints | ||
| Shared team device inventory | ||
| Role-based access control | ||
| Central audit logging | ||
| Central session recording | ||
| AI & Intelligence | ||
| AI assistant (networking-aware) | ||
| AI documentation generator | ||
| AI agent tasks | ||
| Network topology visualization | ||
| Browser-based terminal | ||
PuTTY got you started. NetStacks takes you further.
PuTTY is how most network engineers learned SSH. It's lightweight, fast, and it works. But managing dozens (or hundreds) of devices with single-session windows and no organization is a workflow from 1999.
PuTTY
LegacyWhat it does well
- SSH, Telnet, Serial connections
- Session saving with host & port
- Keyboard-interactive auth
- X11 forwarding
- Port forwarding / tunnels
- Lightweight, fast launch
What it lacks
- Multi-tab interface
- Session folders / organization
- Split panes
- Integrated SFTP browser
- AI assistant
- Config automation / templates
- Change procedures (MOPs)
- Credential vault
- Controller-proxied SSH
- RBAC / audit logging
- Browser-based access
- Network topology view
NetStacks
ModernEverything PuTTY does, plus
- SSH and Telnet, plus console access through terminal servers
- Multi-tab interface with split panes
- Session folders, favourites, and search
- Built-in SFTP file transfer
- AI assistant that reads your CLI context
- Jinja2 config templates & stack deployments
- MOPs with pre-checks, post-checks and rollback
- Controller-proxied SSH (creds never on laptop)
- RBAC, audit logging, session recording
- Browser-based terminal — no install
- Network topology with click-to-connect
- Active development with regular releases
More than a multi-tool — a complete platform
MobaXterm packs a lot into one app: X11 forwarding, built-in Unix utilities, multi-tab SSH, SFTP, and RDP. It's a Swiss Army knife. We respect that.
But MobaXterm is a desktop-only tool with no server component. There's no Controller to proxy SSH connections, no credential vault that keeps passwords off laptops, no RBAC, no audit logging. There's no AI assistant, no config templates, no change workflows, no browser access, and no topology views.
For personal use, MobaXterm is a capable tool. For teams and enterprises that need credential security, compliance controls, and automation? NetStacks is the platform you need.
Where MobaXterm wins: X11 forwarding and built-in local Unix tools. If those are critical to your workflow, MobaXterm has an edge there. NetStacks focuses on network engineering rather than general-purpose Linux desktop tools.
| Feature | NetStacks | MobaXterm |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal | ||
| Multi-tab SSH sessions | ||
| Split panes | ||
| SFTP file transfer | ||
| X11 forwarding | ||
| Built-in Unix tools (local) | ||
| Jump host / bastion support | ||
| Automation & AI | ||
| Jinja config templates | ||
| Methods of Procedures (MOPs) | ||
| Config backups & diff | ||
| AI assistant (networking-aware) | ||
| AI agent tasks | ||
| REST API & plugins | ||
| Security & Enterprise | ||
| Controller-proxied SSH | ||
| Credentials never on endpoints | ||
| Shared team device inventory | ||
| Role-based access control | ||
| Central audit logging | ||
| Central session recording | ||
| Browser-based terminal | ||
| Network topology visualization | ||
Complementary, not a replacement
Ansible and Nornir are great at declarative config management at scale. NetStacks is the interactive layer — the terminal, the AI, the GUI, the session management. Use both together.
What Ansible / Nornir does
Declarative config management
Define desired state in YAML playbooks. Push configs at scale.
Idempotent operations
Run the same playbook repeatedly without side effects.
Inventory management
Group devices by role, site, OS in static or dynamic inventory.
Massive community ecosystem
Thousands of modules for every vendor and platform.
CI/CD integration
Trigger playbooks from Jenkins, GitLab CI, GitHub Actions.
What NetStacks adds
Interactive terminal
SSH directly to any device for troubleshooting. AI assistant reads your session in context.
Network topology visualization
See your network visually. Click to connect. Visual traceroute.
GUI-based templates
Jinja templates on the Controller with live preview, variable forms, and version history.
Methods of Procedures
Step-by-step change workflows with pre-checks, post-checks and a written rollback.
Session recording & audit
Every session recordable in asciinema format. A central audit log on the Controller.
Credential security
Credentials never leave the Controller. No plaintext passwords in playbooks.
One platform instead of six tools
We've all been there: PuTTY for SSH, Ansible for automation, Vault for credentials, ELK for audit logs, Grafana for dashboards, and a wiki for documentation. Six tools, six maintenance windows, six points of failure.
The DIY Stack
NetStacks
- Terminal + automation + credentials + audit
- Single login, single UI, single update
- Everything works together out of the box
- Controller architecture for enterprise security
| Capability | DIY Approach | NetStacks |
|---|---|---|
| SSH Terminal | PuTTY / SecureCRT | Built-in terminal |
| Config Automation | Ansible / Nornir + YAML | Jinja templates with live preview |
| Change Workflows | Custom scripts + wiki docs | Methods of Procedures |
| Credential Management | HashiCorp Vault + scripts | Built-in encrypted vault |
| Audit & Compliance | ELK / Splunk + custom logging | Built-in audit log |
| Session Recording | asciinema / script + storage | Built-in session recording |
| AI Assistance | ChatGPT (copy-paste context) | Context-aware AI in terminal |
| Topology / Visualization | Grafana + NetBox + custom | Built-in topology views |
| RBAC & Access Control | Custom LDAP scripts | Role-based access built in |
| Browser Access | Guacamole + reverse proxy | Built-in browser terminal |
Switching is easy
Three steps. Most teams are fully migrated in under an hour.
Import sessions
Import from SecureCRT, CSV or JSON, or pull devices straight from NetBox. Your folders, hosts and ports come along.
Connect your devices
Point the Controller at your network. Add credentials to the encrypted vault. Create accounts for your engineers and assign their roles.
Start automating
Begin with the terminal you already know. Add templates when you are ready. Build MOPs when you need change management. The platform grows with you.
Ready to switch?
Import your existing sessions, connect your devices, and see the difference in minutes.