termalSerial · COM port
A serial terminal that already knows your ports.
Open a COM port or a /dev/tty device and talk to a switch, a router or a microcontroller over the console cable — with baud rate, data bits, stop bits, parity and flow control all set from one dialog. It's not a standalone applet: the serial console sits in a full SSH client with tabs, so the cable to the hardware and the SSH session to the box are one window.
Free tier · 14-day Pro trial · Windows, macOS & Linux · desktop only
01 / every serial setting
Baud, framing and flow control — all in the dialog.
Console gear is fussy about the line settings, so Termalin puts every one in front of you. Pick a baud rate from 300 up to 921600, set data bits (5–8), stop bits (1 or 2) and parity (none, odd, even), and choose flow control — none, software (XON/XOFF) or hardware (RTS/CTS). The defaults are the usual 9600 8-N-1, so plugging into a Cisco console is one click.
- ▸The full baud list — 9600 and 115200 are one tap apart, up to 921600 for fast bootloaders.
- ▸8-N-1 and the rest — set data bits, stop bits and parity independently for odd legacy gear.
- ▸XON/XOFF or RTS/CTS — turn on flow control when the device needs it.
02 / port discovery
See the ports by name, not by number.
Open the serial dialog and it scans for available ports and lists each one — on Windows the COM numbers, on macOS and Linux the /dev/tty devices. For USB adapters it shows the manufacturer and product too, so a cable reads as "USB Serial (FTDI)" instead of a bare COM7 you have to guess at. Nothing plugged in yet? Reconnect the cable and refresh the list in place.
03 / one app for the whole rack
Serial, SSH and Telnet in the same tabs.
A serial console is rarely the only way you reach a device. In Termalin the serial tab lives beside your SSH sessions, an in-app Telnet client for gear that still speaks it, and a hosts sidebar — one window for the console cable, the management SSH login and the switch's Telnet port. The whole thing is the free desktop app, no host limits, and every terminal session — serial included — can be recorded and replayed on a scrubbable timeline.
04 / honest about the edges
Desktop only — because the hardware is on your desk.
Serial talks to a device physically attached to your machine, so it runs in the desktop app on Windows, macOS and Linux only — there's no serial in the browser client and none on the iPhone or iPad. Everything here is in the Free tier; paid plans add the encrypted cloud for the rest of your hosts and settings, and new accounts get Pro free for 14 days. Explore all features →
Questions
Is there a serial terminal for Windows?
Yes — Termalin is a serial / COM port terminal for Windows, macOS and Linux, part of a full SSH client. It lists your COM ports (with the USB device name), opens a port at the baud rate and framing you pick, and gives you a real tabbed terminal on the wire. Free, no host limits.
What serial settings can I change?
Baud rate from 300 to 921600 (300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, 115200, 230400, 460800, 921600), data bits 5–8, stop bits 1 or 2, parity none / odd / even, and flow control none, software (XON/XOFF) or hardware (RTS/CTS). The defaults are 9600 8-N-1, no flow control.
Does it list my COM ports automatically?
Yes — open the serial dialog and it scans the machine for available ports and shows each one with its type and, for USB adapters, the manufacturer and product name (an FTDI or CP210x cable, say). Pick one from the list instead of guessing which COM number it landed on.
Can I use the serial terminal on a Mac or from the browser?
On a Mac, yes — the desktop app opens /dev/tty.* devices the same way it opens a COM port on Windows. Serial is a desktop-only feature, though: it talks to hardware attached to your machine, so there is no serial in the web client and none on the iPhone or iPad app.
Is it a good PuTTY serial alternative?
It covers the same job — pick a port, set baud and framing, get a console — inside a modern app with browser-style tabs, a hosts sidebar, and SSH, SFTP and Telnet in the same window. So the cable to your switch and the SSH session to the jump box live side by side, not in two separate tools.
A serial console inside a real SSH client.
List your COM ports, set baud and framing, and get a tabbed terminal on the cable — next to SSH, SFTP and Telnet. Free, with no host limits; new accounts get Pro free for 14 days.
Free tier · 14-day Pro trial · Telnet client · free SSH client