Windows Terminal

Spec sheet

Purpose

Windows Terminal is a host application for command-line shells such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash through WSL.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Free plan

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Headquarters

Redmond, Washington, United StatesRead 23 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Administrator security limit

Windows Terminal does not support mixing administrator-level and non-administrator shells in tabs within the same window, citing security concerns.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Azure integration

Windows Terminal includes an Azure Cloud Shell profile and can save Azure credentials for quicker Cloud Shell sign-in.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Customization

Users can customize themes, text, colors, backgrounds, and keyboard shortcuts.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

GPU acceleration

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Installation

Windows Terminal is available through the Microsoft Store and GitHub releases, with package-manager options including winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Portable mode

The unpackaged ZIP distribution supports portable mode, which stores settings and runtime state alongside the application.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Rendering and characters

Windows Terminal supports Unicode and UTF-8 characters and uses the GPU to render text.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Scripting API

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Shell profiles

It supports command-line applications including PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure Cloud Shell, WSL distributions, and Git Bash.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Split panes

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

SSH support

YesRead 20 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Support and feedback

The installation guide directs users to troubleshooting documentation and the GitHub page for reporting bugs or requesting features.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Supported platforms

WindowsRead 20 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

System requirements

The project repository states that Windows Terminal requires Windows 10 version 2004, build 19041, or later.Read 2 Oct 2026 · github.com

Tab management

Users can tear tabs out into new windows and drag tabs into existing windows.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Tabs and panes

It supports multiple tabs and panes, including running multiple shells side by side.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Updates

The packaged distribution installed through the MSIX bundle automatically updates through the Store; GitHub installations do not automatically update.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

WSL integration

Windows Terminal automatically detects installed WSL distributions and creates profiles for them.Read 2 Oct 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Plans and prices

Every Windows Terminal plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Terminal apps#6 of 418.4
• Terminal Emulators#33 of 407.6