Hyper vs Kitty
Hyper vs Kitty: an Electron terminal with npm plugins and web theming against a GPU-accelerated terminal with kittens and image support.
Updated
short verdict
Pick Hyper if you write HTML/CSS/JS and want to extend your terminal with npm plugins, or if you need Windows support. Pick Kitty if rendering speed, the image protocol, ligatures and built-in tiling matter more, and you are on Linux, macOS or BSD.
Hyper and Kitty are both terminal emulators, but they sit at opposite ends of the trade-off. Hyper is an Electron app written in TypeScript that is extended with npm plugins and themed with web technologies. Kitty is written in Python and C, renders through OpenGL, and is scripted with its own kittens.
this page is for
- Web developers choosing between a plugin-driven and a GPU-driven terminal
- Windows users, since only Hyper lists Windows support
- Linux, macOS or BSD users who want image display and built-in tiling
Hyper is the better pick when you want to customize the terminal with npm plugins and HTML/CSS/JS themes, or need it on Windows.
best for
- Web developers who want to theme with CSS
- Windows, Linux and macOS users who want the same look on each
strengths
- Extensive npm-based plugin library
- Themes are written in HTML, CSS and JS
- Runs on Linux, macOS and Windows
- Polished defaults out of the box
weaknesses
- Electron-based, and the project itself says it is not the fastest
- No built-in image protocol or tiling listed
- Raw performance is traded for extensibility
Kitty is the better pick when you want a fast, GPU-rendered terminal with image display, ligatures and tiling built in.
best for
- Developers who care about rendering performance
- Users who want to script the terminal with kittens
strengths
- OpenGL-based GPU rendering
- Image protocol displays images in the terminal
- Kittens provide scripting and extensions
- Built-in window and tab management, plus full font ligature support
weaknesses
- No Windows support listed (Linux, macOS, BSD)
- Licensed GPL-3.0, which may matter for some uses
- Extension model is Python and kittens, not an npm plugin library
Key differences
- Runtime: Hyper is Electron on web technologies; Kitty is Python/C with OpenGL GPU rendering.
- Language: Hyper is TypeScript; Kitty is Python/C.
- Extensions: Hyper uses npm plugins; Kitty uses kittens.
- Theming: Hyper themes use HTML/CSS/JS; Kitty lists custom keyboard shortcuts and ligatures.
- Platforms: Hyper runs on Linux, macOS and Windows; Kitty on Linux, macOS and BSD.
- License: Hyper is MIT; Kitty is GPL-3.0.
Choose Hyper when
- You already know HTML, CSS and JavaScript and want to theme the terminal with them.
- You want to pull plugins from an npm-based ecosystem.
- You need the same terminal on Windows as on Linux and macOS.
- You prefer an MIT-licensed project.
Choose Kitty when
- You want GPU-accelerated OpenGL rendering.
- You want to display images directly in the terminal.
- You want built-in window and tab management and full font ligature support.
- You want to script the terminal with kittens and custom keyboard shortcuts.
When not to use these
- You need a terminal on a platform neither lists, since Hyper covers Linux, macOS and Windows and Kitty covers Linux, macOS and BSD.
FAQ
- Which is faster, Hyper or Kitty?
- Kitty. It renders with OpenGL on the GPU, while Hyper's own description says that, as an Electron app, it is not the fastest. No benchmark figures are given for either.
- Does Hyper or Kitty run on Windows?
- Hyper lists Linux, macOS and Windows. Kitty lists Linux, macOS and BSD, with no Windows support.
- Which is easier to configure?
- Neither project settles this. Hyper uses npm plugins and web-based theming, and Kitty uses kittens and custom keyboard shortcuts, but neither config format is described in detail.
- Can I use both?
- Neither project rules it out or says anything about running them side by side. They are separate terminal emulators.