A HostExplorer alternative for 3270 and 5250 users
Rocket Software now owns HostExplorer and sells it as part of Rocket Secure Host Access. If a move is coming anyway, test WND Terminal on your own hosts first.
WND Terminal is an alternative to HostExplorer, the Hummingbird emulator that OpenText sold for years and Rocket Software owns today, for IBM mainframe (3270) and IBM i (5250) sessions. Rocket has folded HostExplorer into Rocket Secure Host Access. WND Terminal doesn’t read HostExplorer profiles, so connections are set up once as a WND Terminal policy, and Hummingbird Basic (.ebs) macros need a person.
From Hummingbird to OpenText to Rocket
HostExplorer has had three owners in just over thirty years. Its current owner is folding it into a single subscription product.
- 1994
- Hummingbird, the Canadian company behind the Exceed X server, releases HostExplorer.
- October 2006
- OpenText buys Hummingbird for about US$489 million. The product becomes OpenText HostExplorer.
- 2024
- Rocket Software buys OpenText’s Application Modernization and Connectivity business for $2.275 billion. Rocket’s 2024 data sheet calls the product Rocket HostExplorer.
- February 2025
- Rocket announces Rocket Secure Host Access, a subscription product that brings six emulators together, HostExplorer among them.
- October 2026
- Rocket’s HostExplorer product page redirects to the Rocket Secure Host Access page.
At a glance
WND Terminal facts come from its documentation. HostExplorer facts come from Rocket’s own data sheet. Where we couldn’t confirm something, the cell says so.
| Capability | WND Terminal | HostExplorer (Rocket) |
|---|---|---|
| IBM Z mainframe (3270) | Yes. TN3270E (RFC 2355), LU names, models 2 to 5 | Yes. TN3270(E), RFC 2355 and RFC 1646 |
| IBM i (5250) | Yes. 24×80, 27×132, IBM’s enhanced 5250 graphical windows, printers | Yes. TN5250(E), RFC 1205 |
| VT sessions | No. WND Terminal is a 3270 and 5250 emulator | Yes. VT52 to VT420, including ANSI and SCO-ANSI |
| Windows | Yes. MSI for IT, per-user setup.exe, Citrix and Azure Virtual Desktop | Yes. The data sheet lists Windows 10, 8.1 and 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2 to 2019 |
| Mac | Native app for Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 11 or later | Check with vendor. In February 2025, IT Jungle reported Mac support for Rocket Secure Host Access Pro as pending |
| Browser access | Yes. A gateway you host, with Entra ID, Okta, Google or OIDC sign-in | Web access is part of the Rocket Secure Host Access Anywhere edition |
| Encryption | TLS 1.2 or later through the operating system’s TLS, FIPS 140 validated on Windows and macOS | TLS 1.2 and Kerberos v4/5 |
| Packaging for IT | Windows MSI, Group Policy (ADMX/ADML), Intune, Mac configuration profiles | MSI customization tool |
| License reporting | Usage dashboard inside your network, by person and department over 30, 60 and 90 days | Metering and license reporting tool |
| Reads HostExplorer profiles | No. Connections are set up once as a WND Terminal policy | Native format |
| Macros | Short readable scripts (type, press, wait, move). No Hummingbird Basic and no VBA | Macro engine with record, edit and playback. Hummingbird Basic (.ebs) |
| Programming interfaces | Programs that drive an emulator are reviewed in discovery | HLLAPI, EHLLAPI, WINHLLAPI, OHIO, OLE and COM |
| Card-number and pattern masking | Yes, set by IT | Check with vendor |
| Tamper-evident session recording | Yes. SHA-256 hash chain and Ed25519 signature, in your storage | Check with vendor |
| Price | $99 (Desktop) or $159 (Enterprise) per user per year, 100-user minimum | Check with vendor |
HostExplorer facts come from Rocket’s 2024 HostExplorer data sheet unless the foot of this page says otherwise.
What moves, and what needs a person
The connections and keyboard layouts are the quick part. Macros and programs that call HostExplorer’s APIs are where the time goes.
| In HostExplorer today | In WND Terminal | Who does the work |
|---|---|---|
| 3270 and 5250 profiles (host, port, TLS, LU or device name, screen size) | Connections in IT’s policy, deployed with Group Policy, Intune, a Mac configuration profile or policy.json | Set up once during the proof of value. You check them |
| Keyboard maps | WND Terminal’s defaults match familiar emulators. Custom maps are made again as WND keyboard maps | A person, once for each distinct layout |
| IND$FILE transfers | Supported in DFT mode. CUT mode is not supported | Test a real transfer in the proof of value |
Hummingbird Basic macros (.ebs) | Not run. Spreadsheet loads and list exports usually become Fill from Excel and Capture all pages | Needs a person |
| HLLAPI, EHLLAPI, OHIO, OLE or COM programs | Reviewed with you in discovery | Needs a person |
| VT sessions | Not supported | Needs a person and another product |
| PCOMM, Reflection, BlueZone or ACS files on the same share | Read by the Migration readiness report, with duplicates collapsed | The report does it in minutes |
WND Terminal doesn’t read HostExplorer profiles. If you want to keep running .ebs macros, Rocket’s Reflection Desktop can run Hummingbird Basic macros against 3270 sessions once its HostExplorer compatibility feature is installed (Reflection documentation).
What changes when you move
- Test before the next renewal.Rocket is folding HostExplorer into Rocket Secure Host Access and moving to subscription pricing. If that change is coming at your next renewal, test WND Terminal on your own hosts first.
- A Mac app today.Rocket’s HostExplorer data sheet lists only Windows. WND Terminal is one native app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs. The Home Depot moved 2,800 Mac users off Citrix with it.
- Encryption from the operating system.WND Terminal uses SChannel on Windows and Apple’s Security framework on macOS, both FIPS 140 validated. It carries no cryptography of its own.
- Rules IT sets once.Connections, encryption and feature switches go out by Group Policy, Intune or a Mac profile, and the engine enforces them. A “Managed” badge shows people what’s locked.
- Copying that keeps columns.Copy as table pastes a screen list into Excel as real columns, with leading zeros kept. Texas HHSC removed about 60,000 hours of retyping a year.
- Honest gaps.No VT, no Hummingbird Basic and no VBA. Programs written against HostExplorer’s APIs need a person to review them.
What customers changed when they switched
From WND’s published customer stories. The stories don’t name the previous vendor.
- The Home Depot2,800 Mac users moved off Citrix. 38 Citrix servers retired. Login to the first screen went from 90 seconds to 5.
- Union Pacific7,800 users moved in eight weeks, against a nine-month estimate.
- Texas HHSCAbout 60,000 hours of retyping removed a year.
Renewal context from the same stories. Fifth Third saw yearly increases of 9–14%. The Home Depot had 12% at its last renewal. Union Pacific had 10% plus a five-year commitment.
Other comparisons
HostExplorer facts on this page come from Rocket’s HostExplorer data sheet (2024), OpenText’s Hummingbird brand page, Wikipedia’s Hummingbird Ltd. article, SD Times, May 2024, IT Jungle, February 2025, the Reflection Desktop page on Hummingbird Basic macros and the Rocket Secure Host Access product page, checked in October 2026.
Competitor information is based on public sources as of October 2026. Check with each vendor for current capabilities. “Check with vendor” means we could not confirm the capability from public sources. HostExplorer, Reflection, Extra!, Rumba, InfoConnect and BlueZone are trademarks of Rocket Software. OpenText and Exceed are trademarks of Open Text Corporation. IBM and IBM i are trademarks of IBM. PowerTerm is a trademark of Ericom Software. WND Software is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.
Questions
Who owns HostExplorer now?
Rocket Software. Hummingbird built it, OpenText bought Hummingbird in 2006, and Rocket now publishes it as Rocket HostExplorer and includes it in Rocket Secure Host Access.
Can WND Terminal import HostExplorer profiles?
No. Your 3270 and 5250 connections are set up once as a WND Terminal policy during the proof of value, and custom keyboard maps are made again.
What happens to our Hummingbird Basic macros?
WND Terminal doesn't run them, so each one needs a person. Macros that load spreadsheets or export lists can often be replaced by Fill from Excel and Capture all pages.
Does WND Terminal support HostExplorer's VT sessions?
No. WND Terminal is a 3270 and 5250 emulator. VT users need another product.
Does WND Terminal run on a Mac?
Yes, as a native app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs running macOS 11 or later.
Test WND Terminal before your HostExplorer renewal.
A free proof of value runs two to four weeks on your own hosts. We set up your connections as a policy, and a pilot team uses WND Terminal next to HostExplorer.