# Windows Terminal

> Microsoft's terminal for Windows that hosts PowerShell, cmd and WSL shells in tabs and panes, with GPU text rendering and JSON settings.

Stars: 105.3k · Language: C++ · License: MIT · Platforms: Windows · Config: JSON

Features: GPU-accelerated, built-in multiplexer, ligatures, inline images, configurable

- Repository: https://github.com/microsoft/terminal
- Page: https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/windows-terminal

## Install

- winget: `winget install --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -e`
- Scoop (unofficial): `scoop bucket add extras`
- Scoop (unofficial): `scoop install windows-terminal`

## Overview

Windows Terminal is Microsoft's open-source terminal application for Windows 10 2004 (build 19041) and later. It hosts any command-line program, including Command Prompt, PowerShell, Azure Cloud Shell and WSL distributions such as Ubuntu, each as its own profile in a tabbed window. It is written in C++ and lives in the same repository as `conhost.exe`, the original Windows console host, and reuses console components such as the VT parser, the text buffer and the DirectWrite-based text layout and rendering engine. Microsoft built it because the console host's commitment to backward compatibility blocked features such as tabs, full Unicode and emoji. It suits developers who work in PowerShell, CMD and WSL side by side.

Text is rendered on the GPU, with a software renderer (WARP) available through `experimental.rendering.software`. Tabs can be torn off into new windows or dragged into existing ones. Panes split a tab vertically, horizontally, or in any direction with the `splitPane` action (Alt+Shift+Plus and Alt+Shift+Minus by default). The `wt` command line builds layouts at launch with subcommands such as `new-tab` and `split-pane`, choosing a profile and starting directory for each. Naming a window `_quake` (`wt -w _quake`) gives a drop-down quake-mode window.

Settings live in `settings.json` and can also be edited in a graphical settings UI. Profiles for PowerShell and WSL distributions are created automatically when those shells are installed, and other applications can add profiles or color schemes through JSON fragment extensions. Every keyboard shortcut is an action that can be rebound, and a command palette lists them. Per-profile appearance options include color schemes, background images and GIFs, acrylic transparency, OpenType font features (which can switch ligatures off), an experimental retro CRT effect, and custom pixel shaders. Release notes also show Sixel image support.

Windows Terminal runs only on Windows. The Microsoft Store is the recommended install because it updates automatically. Builds installed manually from GitHub releases do not update themselves, and older Windows 10 builds may need the VC++ Desktop Framework Package.

### Installation

```bash
# via winget
winget install --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -e
```

```bash
# via Scoop (unofficial)
scoop bucket add extras
scoop install windows-terminal
```

## Alternatives

- [Tabby](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/tabby.md): Cross-platform Electron terminal with a built-in SSH, Telnet and serial client, saved connection profiles and a plugin system. (Linux/macOS/Windows, 75.3k stars)
- [Alacritty](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/alacritty.md): Cross-platform OpenGL terminal emulator written in Rust, configured with a TOML file and leaving tabs and splits to a multiplexer like tmux. (Linux/macOS/Windows/BSD, 66.1k stars)
- [Warp](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/warp.md): Terminal written in Rust with an IDE-style command editor, command output grouped into blocks, and built-in AI agents. (macOS/Linux/Windows, 65.8k stars)
- [Termux](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/termux.md): Android terminal emulator and Linux environment that installs packages through its own apt repository, no root required. (Android, 63.9k stars)
- [Ghostty](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/ghostty.md): Terminal emulator written in Zig with GPU rendering and a native UI on each platform: Swift/AppKit on macOS, GTK on Linux. (Linux/macOS, 63.3k stars)
- [Hyper](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/hyper.md): Electron terminal built on HTML, CSS and JavaScript, themed and extended through npm plugins. (Linux/macOS/Windows, 44.8k stars)
- [Kitty](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/kitty.md): GPU-rendered terminal written in C and Python, with its own graphics protocol, built-in tabs and splits, and scriptable 'kittens'. (Linux/macOS/BSD, 35.5k stars)
- [WindTerm](https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/windterm.md): SSH, Telnet, serial and local shell client for Windows, macOS and Linux with tabs, split views, SFTP and tmux integration; only partly open source. (Windows/macOS/Linux, 32.6k stars)

## Guides

- [Alacritty Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/alacritty): Alacritty alternatives: WezTerm, Kitty and Ghostty add tabs, splits and scripting; Windows Terminal and iTerm2 cover one OS each.
- [cmder Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/cmder): cmder alternatives for Windows: Windows Terminal, WezTerm, and Tabby compared by shells, multiplexing, SSH, and configuration.
- [Ghostty Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/ghostty): Ghostty alternatives: WezTerm, Kitty and Alacritty compared by platform, built-in tabs and splits, scripting, and licensing.
- [Hyper Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/hyper): Hyper alternatives: WezTerm, Tabby, Kitty, Ghostty and Alacritty compared by config model, platform support and built-in features.
- [Tabby Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/tabby): Tabby alternatives: WezTerm, Kitty, Windows Terminal and Wave compared by platform, scripting, SSH handling and plugin support.
- [WezTerm Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/wezterm): WezTerm alternatives: Kitty, Ghostty, Alacritty, Windows Terminal and Tabby compared on multiplexing, config format and platform support.
- [Windows Terminal Alternatives](https://www.trmn.sh/alternatives/windows-terminal): Windows Terminal alternatives compared: WezTerm, Tabby, Alacritty, cmder, Hyper and Contour, with platform, config and multiplexing differences.
- [Best Drop-Down (Quake-Style) Terminals](https://www.trmn.sh/best/drop-down-terminals): Guake, Yakuake, Tabby and Windows Terminal compared as hotkey-toggled drop-down terminals on Linux, KDE, macOS and Windows.

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Canonical: https://www.trmn.sh/terminals/windows-terminal