Contour Free plan 8.8 Visit Ghostty
ghostty.org
What it is
Ghostty is a free, open-source terminal emulator for macOS and Linux. It renders with Metal on macOS and OpenGL on Linux for GPU acceleration, while native interface components provide multiple windows, tabs, and split panes. Its shared libghostty core handles terminal emulation, fonts, and rendering through a cross-platform C ABI. Ghostty includes hundreds of themes and can follow system light and dark modes automatically. It supports the Kitty graphics protocol for terminal images and provides automatic shell integration for bash, elvish, fish, nushell, and zsh. SSH integration can forward environment variables and install Ghostty terminfo entries on remote hosts. macOS Secure Keyboard Entry helps protect passwords from other processes, and official macOS binaries are signed and notarized. Ghostty is licensed under MIT and fiscally sponsored by Hack Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Community help is available through GitHub Discussions and Discord; there is no dedicated support team. The Ghostty plan is free, described as free and open source with no commercial backing.
Spec sheet
- Product
- Ghostty is a fast, feature-rich, native terminal emulator.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Platforms
- Ghostty runs on macOS and Linux; Windows support is planned for the future.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Free plan
- YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Support
- Ghostty has no support team or dedicated support resources; help is community-provided through GitHub Discussions and Discord.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Architecture
- Its shared core, libghostty, provides terminal emulation, font handling, and rendering through a cross-platform C ABI.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Distribution security
- Official macOS binaries are signed and notarized by the Ghostty project.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- GPU acceleration
- YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Graphics protocol
- Ghostty supports the Kitty graphics protocol for rendering images in the terminal.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- macOS security
- Ghostty supports macOS Secure Keyboard Entry to protect passwords from other processes.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Project governance
- Ghostty is fiscally sponsored by Hack Club, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and remains licensed under the MIT license.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Rendering
- Ghostty uses Metal on macOS and OpenGL on Linux for GPU-accelerated rendering.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Scripting API
- YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Shell integrations
- Automatic shell integration is provided for bash, elvish, fish, nushell, and zsh.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Split panes
- YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · github.com
- SSH integration
- Its SSH integration can forward environment variables and install Ghostty terminfo entries on remote hosts.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- SSH support
- YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Supported platforms
- macOS,LinuxRead 20 Sep 2026 · github.com
- Terminal UI
- It supports multiple windows, tabs, and splits using native UI components.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
- Themes
- Ghostty ships with hundreds of themes and can switch themes automatically with system light and dark mode.Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
Plans and prices
Ghostty Free Free and open source No commercial backing · no dedicated support team Read 1 Oct 2026 · ghostty.org
Strong points and limits
Strong points
- GPU-accelerated rendering
- Native windows, tabs, and splits
- Hundreds of themes
- Kitty graphics protocol support
- SSH and shell integrations
Limits
- Supports macOS and Linux only
- No dedicated support team
- Community help is through GitHub and Discord
- No commercial backing
Who it suits
Ghostty suits macOS and Linux users wanting a native, GPU-accelerated terminal with tabs, splits, themes, shell integration, and SSH features. Users needing formal vendor support should note that help is community-provided.
Verdict
Ghostty offers a free terminal with native interfaces, GPU rendering, extensive theme support, and integrations for shells and SSH. Its main limitation is the absence of dedicated support resources.
Where Specifiction places it
- Terminal Emulators#11 of 408.3
- Terminal apps#13 of 418.2
