WezTerm Alternatives
WezTerm alternatives: Kitty, Ghostty, Alacritty, Windows Terminal and Tabby compared on multiplexing, config format and platform support.
Updated
short verdict
Pick Kitty if you want built-in tabs and windows plus scripting on Linux or macOS. Pick Ghostty for a native-UI terminal focused on VT correctness, or Alacritty if you pair a minimal terminal with a separate multiplexer. On Windows only, Windows Terminal covers tabs, panes and multiple shells.
WezTerm combines a GPU-accelerated terminal with a built-in multiplexer and Lua configuration, and it runs on Linux, macOS and Windows. The alternatives below each give up one of those traits: some drop the multiplexer, some drop Windows, and some swap Lua for another config format or a different scope such as SSH management.
this page is for
- WezTerm users who want a simpler config than Lua
- Developers who want native UI or strict VT handling
- Windows users who mainly run PowerShell, CMD or WSL
- Admins who spend most of their time in SSH sessions
Closest in feature set: GPU rendering, ligatures, images and tab/window management, scripted through kittens instead of Lua, but with no Windows build.
best for
- Scriptable terminal with built-in tiling
- Inline image display
strengths
- Built-in window and tab management without a separate multiplexer
- Image protocol shows images directly in the terminal
- Extensible through kittens and custom keyboard shortcuts
- Full ligature support
weaknesses
- Platforms are Linux, macOS and BSD; no Windows
- Scripting is Python-based kittens, not a Lua config
A GPU-rendered terminal written in Zig with platform-native UI and a correctness focus, where WezTerm prioritizes scripting and a built-in multiplexer.
best for
- Native look on macOS or Linux
- Users who care about VT correctness
strengths
- Uses platform-native UI elements
- Focuses on correct VT handling
- GPU-accelerated rendering
- Written in Zig with a codebase built around correctness
weaknesses
- Linux and macOS only; no Windows
- No multiplexer or workspaces described by the project, unlike WezTerm
Drops WezTerm's tabs, splits and multiplexer for a minimal OpenGL terminal configured in TOML, expecting a window manager or separate multiplexer to fill the gap.
best for
- Minimal terminal paired with a multiplexer
- Users who want a plain TOML config
strengths
- OpenGL rendering in a Rust codebase
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows and BSD
- Built-in vi mode for scrollback navigation
- TOML configuration file
weaknesses
- No tabs or splits; you need a window manager or separate multiplexer
- No scripting language like WezTerm's Lua
A Windows-only terminal that hosts PowerShell, CMD, WSL and Azure Cloud Shell in tabs and panes, where WezTerm is cross-platform and Lua-scripted.
best for
- Windows developers switching between shells
- WSL users
strengths
- Tabs and panes built in
- Profiles for PowerShell, CMD, WSL and Azure Cloud Shell
- GPU-accelerated rendering
- Themes, backgrounds and key bindings are customizable
weaknesses
- Windows only, so your setup does not carry to Linux or macOS
- No Lua scripting described by the project
Turns the terminal into an SSH and serial client with a connection manager and SFTP, in a TypeScript app with a plugin system rather than a GPU-accelerated Rust one.
best for
- Frequent SSH sessions
- Serial device work
strengths
- Built-in SSH client with connection manager
- Serial port support
- SFTP file transfer
- Plugin system on Linux, macOS and Windows
weaknesses
- GPU acceleration is not listed, unlike WezTerm
- Plugins replace Lua scripting, so configs do not port over
A C++ GPU terminal that matches WezTerm on Linux, macOS and Windows, with ligatures and sixel graphics plus stronger emphasis on VT conformance.
best for
- Cross-platform users who want sixel graphics
- VT-conformance-minded users
strengths
- Sixel graphics support
- Ligature support
- Runs on Linux, macOS and Windows
- OpenGL rendering
weaknesses
- No built-in multiplexer or Lua-style scripting described by the project
- Smaller user base than WezTerm
Why look beyond WezTerm
- Lua configuration is a full programming language, which is more than some users want to maintain.
- The built-in multiplexer overlaps with a separate terminal multiplexer you may already use.
- Native UI matters to some users, and WezTerm is cross-platform rather than tied to each platform's widgets.
- If you only use Windows or only SSH, a narrower tool can fit the job more directly.
Stay with WezTerm if
- You want tabs, panes and workspaces in the terminal itself, including a multiplexer that works over SSH.
- You want to script behavior in Lua and keep one config across Linux, macOS and Windows.
- You need GPU rendering with ligatures and image support on all three operating systems.
When not to use these
- You want a terminal with AI command suggestions and block-based input; that is a different product category than these terminal emulators.
- You need the same multiplexer sessions over SSH as WezTerm; most alternatives here lack that and need a separate multiplexer.
Also worth a look
FAQ
- Which WezTerm alternative also runs on Windows?
- Alacritty, Contour, Rio and Tabby run on Windows alongside Linux and macOS. Windows Terminal is Windows-only. Kitty and Ghostty do not list Windows.
- Which alternative has built-in tabs and splits like WezTerm?
- Kitty has built-in window and tab management, and Windows Terminal has tabs and panes. Alacritty has none and expects a window manager or a separate multiplexer.
- Can I keep a Lua config when I switch?
- No. Alacritty uses TOML, Kitty extends through kittens, and Tabby uses plugins. None of the listed tools document Lua configuration.
- What is the best choice for SSH-heavy work?
- Tabby includes an SSH client with a connection manager, SFTP and serial port support. WezTerm's own multiplexer also works over SSH.