Native macOS SSH Client & Remote Operations Workbench
Terminal · SCP/SFTP · Remote Files · SSH Tunnels · Device Metrics · AI Agent
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Stacio is a native macOS SSH client and remote operations workbench. It combines terminal sessions, SCP/SFTP file transfers, remote file editing, SSH tunnels, device monitoring, and user-confirmed AI-assisted troubleshooting into one native Mac app. Not Electron. Not a web wrapper. Built with Swift + AppKit, powered by a shared Rust core.
| Pain Point | Existing Tools | Stacio |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal + files + monitoring scattered across apps | iTerm2 + FileZilla + htop | One app, one window |
| Electron tools drain battery and RAM | Termius 500MB+ RAM | Native Swift, ~50MB idle |
| No Xshell for Mac | No good alternative | Session groups + split + bastion import |
| AI ops tools execute commands silently | Fear of uncontrolled AI | Commands require explicit confirmation |
| Subscription-locked SSH clients | Termius $120/yr, SecureCRT $99+ | Free core, local-first, no account required |
| Feature | Stacio | iTerm2 | Termius | Tabby | Electerm | SecureCRT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Native Mac (not Electron) | Swift + AppKit | Native | Electron | Electron | Electron | Qt |
| SSH / Telnet / Serial | SSH / Telnet / Serial / BLE | SSH only | SSH / Telnet | SSH / Telnet / Serial | SSH / Telnet / Serial | SSH / Telnet / Serial |
| SCP / SFTP file transfer | Dual-pane + multi-panel + remote-to-remote | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Remote file editor | Syntax highlight + multi-encoding | No | No | No | Yes | No |
| File preview (spacebar) | Image / video / audio / PDF / hex | No | No | No | No | No |
| Session groups + split | Yes + sync execution | Split only | Groups only | Tabs only | Tabs only | Groups only |
| Bastion host import | TOPSEC / Xshell / SecureCRT | No | No | No | No | No |
| SSH tunnels | Local / remote / dynamic | No | Yes | No | No | No |
| Device metrics dashboard | CPU / mem / disk / network + alerts | No | Yes (paid) | No | No | No |
| AI troubleshooting | Command cards (user-confirmed) | No | No | No | No | No |
| Local agent integration | Codex / Claude / OpenCode / Qwen | No | No | No | No | No |
| SSH remote browser | Access remote web via SSH | No | No | No | No | No |
| Pricing | Free core, local-first | Free | $120/yr | Free | Free | $99+ |
- Multi-protocol: SSH / Telnet / Serial / Bluetooth Console in one app
- Session groups: Organize by project, environment, or team — save and restore split layouts
- Split views: Horizontal / vertical splits with multi-terminal sync execution
- Semantic highlighting: System info, status, and errors auto-colored
- Command completion: Smart suggestions without phantom spaces or cursor jumps
- Command history: Searchable history inspector per session
- Terminal macros: Record and replay command sequences
- SCP/SFTP workspace: Dual-pane and multi-panel grid layouts (2×2)
- Drag-and-drop transfers: Local→remote, remote→local, local→local, remote→-remote
- Transfer queue: Pause / resume / cancel, concurrent queue with progress, speed, and ETA
- Integrity: Resume broken transfers, integrity verification, automatic retry
- Conflict handling: Replace / keep both / skip on transfer conflicts
- Remote file editor: Syntax highlighting, multi-encoding, find & replace, safe save
- File preview: Spacebar quick look for images, video, audio, PDF, and hex
- SSH tunnel management: Local / remote / dynamic port forwarding
- SSH remote browser: Access remote internal web services through SSH
- ProxyJump: Multi-hop jump host support
- Real-time metrics: CPU / memory / disk / network I/O
- Custom alerts: Threshold-based notifications
- System overview: Hostname, OS, kernel, uptime, network interfaces
- Context-aware: Reads terminal context to generate troubleshooting suggestions
- Command cards: Generates executable commands — requires user confirmation before execution
- Local agent integration: Codex, Claude, OpenCode, Qwen Code
- Safety first: AI never executes commands, downloads, or installs silently
- Bastion host import: TOPSEC / Xshell / SecureCRT config import with preview
- Session bulk import/export: Batch operations with deduplication
- Session groups: Save multi-panel layouts (terminal + file transfer) as restorable groups
┌─────────────────────────────────────┐
│ macOS UI Layer │
│ Swift + AppKit (Native) │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ FFI Bridge │
│ Swift ↔ Rust Bridge │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Rust Core (StacioCore) │
│ · SSH Protocol (russh) │
│ · SCP/SFTP Transfer Engine │
│ · Session & Tunnel Management │
├─────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Platform Layer │
│ macOS Keychain · Network · FS │
└─────────────────────────────────────┘
Each platform uses its native UI (macOS: Swift/AppKit, Windows: WinUI 3, Linux: GTK4), while the core protocol layer is unified in Rust — three platforms share the same SSH/SCP engine.
- Credentials: macOS Keychain, never stored in plain text
- Local-first: Session data stays local, not cloud-synced by default
- Log Redaction: Diagnostics and logs redacted by default (hostnames, IPs, accounts, paths, commands stripped)
- AI Safety: AI-generated commands, update downloads, installs, and restarts all require user confirmation — Stacio never executes these silently
- Offline Licensing: Ed25519 signatures + X25519 key agreement, cross-platform license contract (v1.2)
| Platform | Status | Tech Stack |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | Available now (0.14.2) | Swift + AppKit + Rust Core |
| Windows | In development | WinUI 3 / .NET 8 + Rust Core |
| Linux | Architecture baseline ready | GTK4 / libadwaita + Rust Core |
| Domestic OS | Planned | UOS · Deepin · Kylin · openEuler · HarmonyOS |
- Current Version: Stacio 0.14.2 Stable (Build 333)
- System Requirements: macOS 14 or later
- Installer: Separate downloads for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs
- First Launch: Installer is not yet notarized. If macOS blocks first launch, right-click
Stacio.appin Finder → Open
Is Stacio a Mac SSH client?
Yes. Stacio is a native macOS SSH client providing remote sessions, terminal, remote files, SCP transfers, SSH tunnels, and device metrics for remote operations workflows.
How is Stacio different from macOS Terminal?
macOS Terminal is a basic system terminal. Stacio adds session persistence and grouping, split terminals, sync execution, remote files, SCP transfers, SSH tunnels, device metrics, and AI-assisted troubleshooting — for managing multiple hosts long-term.
Can Stacio replace Xshell on Mac?
Yes. If you need to manage multiple remote sessions on Mac with session groups, split terminals, sync execution, remote files, SCP transfers, and SSH tunnels, Stacio is a viable Xshell for Mac alternative. It also imports Xshell session configurations.
Is there a Windows or Linux version?
The Windows version is in development using WinUI 3 / .NET 8, sharing the same Rust core as the macOS version. The Linux version has a GTK4 / libadwaita architecture baseline. Long-term plans include native adaptation for domestic operating systems (UOS, Deepin, Kylin, openEuler, HarmonyOS).
How does the AI assistant work? Is it safe?
The AI assistant reads terminal context and generates troubleshooting suggestions as command cards. Each command card requires explicit user confirmation before execution — Stacio never runs AI-generated commands silently. You can also connect local agents (Codex, Claude, OpenCode, Qwen Code) for more advanced workflows.
Does Stacio manage databases?
No. Stacio does not provide database connection or management features.
How to choose Apple Silicon vs Intel installer?
Check your Mac's chip in "About This Mac". If it shows Apple chip, choose the Apple Silicon version. If it shows Intel, choose the Intel Mac version.
Download from the official download page. Separate installers are provided for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
These dependencies and commands are for building from source only. Using the official installer does not require Xcode, Swift, Rust, or Node.js.
Prerequisites: Xcode Command Line Tools, Swift Package Manager, Rust toolchain + Cargo, Node.js + npm.
# Install JavaScript dependencies
npm ci
# Build Rust Core
cargo build --manifest-path StacioCore/Cargo.toml --lib
# Run tests
swift test
cargo test --manifest-path StacioCore/Cargo.toml
# Create local .app bundle
./scripts/package-app.shThe built app will be at dist/Stacio.app.
Reproducible bug reports, improvement suggestions, and non-commercial contributions are welcome. Please read the contributing guide before submitting.
Stacio uses the Stacio Source Available Non-Commercial License 1.0. This license permits personal study, research, evaluation, and non-commercial derivative development. Commercial use and redistribution of official branded binaries, installers, or derivative versions require prior written authorization.
- Website: https://www.stacio.cn/
- Download: https://www.stacio.cn/#download
- GitHub: https://github.com/Fengoffer/Stacio
- Gitee: https://gitee.com/fengoffer/Stacio
- LLM Context: https://www.stacio.cn/llms.txt
- Full Product Context: https://www.stacio.cn/llms-full.txt