Zync - Open Source SSH Workspace for Developers & DevOps

SPEC_01: Architecture

[SYS_READY // 0x42]

An SSH workspace without subscriptions, host limits, or vendor lock-in.

Most SSH tools either limit important features behind paid plans, restrict hosts, tunnels, or sync, or require you to trust a vendor-hosted vault with your workspace data. Zync takes a different approach.

No Limits

manage as many connections as your machine can handle

Own Secrets

credentials stay in your local vault, not a Zync-hosted server

BYO Storage

encrypted backups sync to accounts you control, starting with Google Drive

Self-Hosted

upcoming team sync can run on infrastructure you own, not ours

> Install it, work offline, connect anywhere, and keep control of your workspace data from day one.

DATA_FLOW // Privacy Matrix

ENCR_LVL // AES-256

Zync is built around a simple idea: your SSH workspace should belong to you.

Zync is a desktop app, not a hosted SSH service. We do not store your hosts, credentials, terminal sessions, or workspace on Zync servers.

Storage Node	Locality	Payload / Meaning
Your machine	LOCAL DISK	Hosts, tunnels, snippets, and settings are saved locally in your Zync data folder.
Encrypted Vault	ON-DEVICE	Passwords and keys can stay in an on-device vault; only you hold the passphrase and recovery key.
Your cloud account	OPTIONAL SYNC	Optional sync backs up to your Google Drive (drive.appdata). Collections are encrypted before upload. Zync never keeps a copy in our infrastructure.

No Zync account is required. Install it, work offline, unlock the vault when you need secrets, and turn on sync only if you want encrypted backup across your own devices.

Roadmap: more cloud providers for personal sync, plus an optional self-hosted team backend. Today ships with Google Drive.

CMD_CENTER // Capabilities

[14_MODULES // 0x0E]

Powerful by default.

Native speed, visual tunnels, SFTP, vault, sync, snippets, and AI — one desktop workspace.

High Performance

Native speed with minimal resource usage. Optimized for modern CPUs.

MEM_USAGE

~40MB

COLD_START

<100ms

Port Forwarding

Local, remote, and SOCKS tunnels — no hand-edited ssh flags.

Dashboard

Monitor server health and sessions in real-time.

Live sessions8 hosts

Config Import

Import hosts from your ~/.ssh/config in one step.

config

→

zync

SFTP Support

Drag and drop file transfers integrated directly.

LocalRemote

Plugin System

Extend functionality with a powerful plugin API. Build your own tools inside the terminal.

CTRL+I

AI Command Bar

Press Ctrl+I in any terminal, describe what you want in plain English, and get a ready-to-run shell command. Powered by Ollama, Gemini, OpenAI, Claude, Groq, or Mistral.

find all .log files older than 7 days

$find /var/log -name "*.log" -mtime +7

SafeLists matching files — read-only

Local-First Data

Hosts, settings, and vault data stay on your machine. Optional custom data directory during setup.

ZYNC

Pro Editor

High-performance editing with search, word completion, and full syntax support for Shell scripts.

deploy.sh

1#!/bin/bash

2echo"Deploying..."

3

gitpu

pull

UTF-8

Ln 3, Col 121.2 KBShell

Unified

Terminal Pro

Start with a local shell on day one — PowerShell, WSL, or your system $SHELL — then add SSH hosts in the same workspace. Ghost suggestions, session restore.

/src/store

→←

zync-sync

$cd src/store

# Followed GUI navigation

Encrypted Vault

Store SSH passwords and keys in an on-device vault — Argon2id encryption, recovery key, and revision history.

AES-GCM

recovery key

Sync & Backup

Optional encrypted backup to your own Google Drive (drive.appdata). Zync never keeps a copy on its servers.

↑↓

drive.appdata

Snippets

Save reusable commands globally or per host. Run them instantly from the terminal — no retyping long deploy or diagnostic scripts.

tail -f /var/log/nginx/error.logRun

docker compose pshost

CTRL+P

Command Palette

Press Ctrl+P to jump anywhere — connections, plugin commands, settings, and workspace actions.

new connection…

New Connection

Open Local Terminal

Settings

SYS_COMPARE // Alternatives

Each tool optimizes for a different job. Zync targets a single desktop workspace for day-to-day SSH ops: hosts, terminals, files, tunnels, vault, and sync together.

Feature	Zync_	Termius	VS Code Remote SSH	MobaXterm
Platforms	Linux, Windows, macOS	Linux, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Where VS Code runs	Windows-first (official)
Files	SFTP manager + in-app editor	SFTP client	Remote explorer in the IDE	SFTP browser + editor
Vault	On-device encrypted vault	Local vault on free; cloud vault on paid	SSH keys / system agent	Local saved sessions (master password)
Sync	Your cloud (Google Drive; encrypted)	No cross-device sync on free; Termius cloud on paid	None (local workspace)	None (local sessions)
Open Source	MIT	No	VS Code OSS; Remote SSH is a Microsoft extension	Proprietary (free Home + paid Pro)
Pricing	Free (MIT, no subscription)	Free Starter; Pro from ~$10/mo (annual)	Free (VS Code + extension)	Free Home; Pro ~$69/user/year
Best fit	One native desktop app for SSH, files, vault, and tunnels without a vendor-owned workspace	Mobile + cross-device sync inside the Termius platform	Editing and debugging code as a full IDE remote session	Windows-heavy workflows with X11 and classic session tooling

Rule of thumb

VS Code Remote SSH → IDE-first workflows
MobaXterm → Windows + X11 workflows
Termius → Mobile and cloud-sync workflows
Zync → Native SSH workspace with local-first data ownership

Comparisons reflect typical use today, not every paid tier. See vendor websites for current pricing. See vendor websites for current pricing and plan details.

CONFIG // Themes

Eleven built-in themes for the app shell and terminal — add community packs from the marketplace, with optional encrypted sync via your Google Drive.

config.json

~ nvim config.json

1 {

2 "app_name": "Zync",

3 "theme": "Dracula"_

4 }

GET_ZYNC.EXE

The SSH client your servers deserve.

Free, MIT licensed, and local-first. Download for Windows or star the project on GitHub.

SYS_QUERY // Support

Have something else? Open an issue on GitHub.

One native workspace for everything you do over SSH_

SPEC_01: Architecture

An SSH workspace without subscriptions, host limits, or vendor lock-in.

No Limits

Own Secrets

BYO Storage

Self-Hosted

DATA_FLOW // Privacy Matrix

Zync is built around a simple idea: your SSH workspace should belong to you.

CMD_CENTER // Capabilities

Powerful by default.

High Performance

Port Forwarding

Dashboard

Config Import

SFTP Support

Plugin System

AI Command Bar

Local-First Data

Pro Editor

Terminal Pro

Encrypted Vault

Sync & Backup

Snippets

Command Palette

SYS_COMPARE // Alternatives

CONFIG // Themes

The SSH client your servers deserve.

SYS_QUERY // Support

Is Zync really free?

Where are my SSH keys and passwords stored?

What is the Vault?

Where does sync data go?

Does it support ProxyJump / Bastion hosts?

I'm on Windows. Do I need WSL?

Can I choose where Zync stores data?

Which platforms are supported?

Can I import my existing SSH config?

Does it support SFTP file transfers?

What about port forwarding?

Is there a plugin system?

What are snippets?

Is there a command palette?

Does Zync check for updates automatically?

What is the AI Command Bar and how do I use it?

Does the AI feature require an internet connection or a paid subscription?

Are my API keys and queries sent to Zync servers?

How does Zync decide if a command is safe or dangerous?

Can I use the AI Command Bar over SSH sessions?

Can I hide host addresses in connection lists?

One native workspace for
everything you do over SSH_