WND Terminal vs. Reflection Desktop
Keep your Reflection sessions and keys. Add a native Mac app, a browser option and capabilities Reflection users have had to script.
WND Terminal is an alternative to Rocket Software’s Reflection Desktop for IBM mainframe (3270) and IBM i (5250) access. It imports Reflection Desktop session documents (.rd3x for 3270, .rd5x for 5250), Reflection for IBM settings saved as XML, and Reflection for IBM 11 and earlier text settings files (.rsf), along with keyboard maps. It runs on Windows, natively on Mac, and in a browser through a gateway you host.
At a glance
What WND Terminal does, from its documentation, next to what is publicly known about the other product. Where we couldn’t confirm something, the cell says so.
| Capability | WND Terminal | Reflection Desktop (Rocket) |
|---|---|---|
| IBM Z mainframe (3270, TN3270E, terminal names) | Yes | Yes |
| IBM i (5250) display | Yes: 24×80, 27×132, enhanced 5250 graphical windows, DBCS | Yes |
| Mac | Native app for Apple Silicon and Intel, macOS 11+, MacBook key mappings | No native Mac version of Reflection Desktop; check with vendor for current options |
| Browser access | Yes: self-hosted gateway, Entra ID, Okta, Google or OIDC sign-in, same policy and license, seats per person | Separate Rocket product; check with vendor |
| Imports other emulators’ session and keyboard files | Yes: PCOMM .ws, .kmp, .mac; Reflection .rd3x, .rd5x, XML, .rsf (v11 and earlier); BlueZone .zmd, .zad; ACS .hod, .bchx; tn5250 | Check with vendor |
| Estate-wide migration report with a deployable policy | Yes: Migration readiness report | n/a |
| Card-number and pattern masking (screen, copies, prints, AI) | Yes, IT-enforceable | Check with vendor |
| Audit log to Splunk and CEF/syslog (Sentinel, QRadar, ArcSight) | Yes, never screen contents or keystrokes | Check with vendor |
| Tamper-evident privileged session recording | Yes: SHA-256 hash chain and Ed25519 signature, your storage, search and replay | Check with vendor |
| AI screen explanation and Ask WND | Yes: model on the PC or in your network; Ask WND read-only by default | Check with vendor |
| Screen as a form, no host change | Yes: Modern view (Ctrl+Shift+M) | Check with vendor |
| Spreadsheet to screen, multi-page list to spreadsheet | Yes: Fill from Excel and Capture all pages, built in, no scripting | Possible with macros or VBA |
| Macro language | Short readable script (type, press, wait, move); PCOMM .mac import. No VBA or Basic: those macros are listed for a person | VBA and Reflection Basic |
| VT / Unix sessions | No. VT files are recognized and listed for a person | Yes |
Competitor information is based on publicly available information as of October 2026; check with each vendor for current capabilities. “Check with vendor” means we could not confirm the capability from public sources. Reflection, BlueZone, Rumba and Extra! are trademarks of Rocket Software. IBM, Personal Communications and IBM i Access Client Solutions are trademarks of IBM. WND Software is not affiliated with or endorsed by these companies.
What changes when you move
- Your files come with you.Reflection Desktop
.rd3xand.rd5xdocuments are read directly, with host, port, device name, screen size and host code page. Rocket doesn’t publish the schema, so WND Terminal finds settings by name and lists anything it can’t use. It doesn’t silently drop them. - Know the hard part up front.Encrypted Reflection documents, binary
.rsffiles from version 12 and later, Reflection Basic and VBA macros, and VT sessions are each flagged “needs a person” in the Migration readiness report, with the exact file list. For binary.rsf, the app explains how to save the settings as XML from Reflection. - Mac and browser without Citrix.One native app for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs, and a browser version through a gateway on your own server. The Home Depot retired 38 Citrix servers by moving 2,800 Mac users to WND Terminal’s Mac app.
- Built in, not scripted.Fill from Excel, Capture all pages and Modern view do out of the box what Reflection shops often build with VBA macros.
- Evidence for audit and operations.Tamper-evident session recording, an audit log to Splunk or CEF/syslog, and response-time monitoring from the user’s side.
- Honest gaps.WND Terminal has no VT emulation and no VBA. If your Reflection estate depends on either, the readiness report shows how much, file by file.
What customers changed when they switched
From WND’s published customer stories. The stories don’t name the previous vendor.
- Fifth Third BankEmulator bill down 81%; 3,300 of 7,400 licensed seats found unused in 90 days; about 7,000 PCs moved in 11 weeks.
- The Home Depot2,800 Mac users moved off Citrix; 38 Citrix servers retired; login to the first screen from 90 seconds to 5.
- Union Pacific1,900 session profiles and 340 keyboard maps imported; 7,800 users moved in eight weeks against a nine-month estimate.
Renewal context from the same stories: customers describe yearly increases of 9–14% (Fifth Third), 12% at the last renewal (The Home Depot), and 10% plus a five-year commitment to cap future increases (Union Pacific).
Questions about switching
Can WND Terminal import Reflection session files?
Yes. It reads Reflection Desktop .rd3x (3270) and .rd5x (5250) documents, Reflection for IBM XML settings, and .rsf text files from Reflection for IBM 11 and earlier. Encrypted documents and VT (.rdox) sessions are recognized and explained.
Can WND Terminal run Reflection VBA macros?
No. VBA and Reflection Basic macros are counted and listed for a person in the Migration readiness report. Many common VBA uses, such as loading spreadsheets or exporting lists, are built in as Fill from Excel and Capture all pages.
Does WND Terminal run on a Mac?
Yes, natively on Apple Silicon and Intel (macOS 11 or later).
Can we run both side by side during the move?
Yes. Customers ran both for weeks per wave; Fifth Third ran them side by side for two weeks per wave.
Other comparisons
Run the readiness report on your Reflection share.
Every proof of value starts with the Migration readiness report on your own files, so you know what moves before anything does. Free, two to four weeks.