Alacritty vs kitty
Alacritty
alacritty.org
kitty
sw.kovidgoyal.netSide by side
| Figure | Alacritty | kitty |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Emulators | 8.5 (#7) | 8.0 (#21) |
| Spec score · Terminal apps | 8.3 (#11) | 8.3 (#10) |
| Configuration | Alacritty uses a TOML configuration file and does not create that file automatically. | Its settings are stored in a human-editable configuration file and the program is highly configurable. |
| GPU acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| Scripting API | Yes | Yes |
| Split panes | No | Yes |
| Support | The project README points users to the `#alacritty` channel on Libera.Chat for questions or quick help. | The official documentation includes a frequently asked questions page covering usage and troubleshooting topics. |
| Supported platforms | Linux,macOS,Windows,BSD | Linux,macOS |
Plans
In their own words
Alacritty
Alacritty is a free, cross-platform terminal emulator for Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD. It uses OpenGL and is designed for high performance and extensive configuration, for people who spend substantial time in a terminal. Vi mode supports viewport and scrollback navigation, text selection, and copying with keyboard bindings; users can also search forward or backward through scrollback. Configurable regex hints can recognize visible text or links and pass them to an external application or trigger a built-in action. One instance can run multiple terminal windows, including through the alacritty msg create-window command. Alacritty is designed to integrate with other applications rather than recreate their functions, and URL-opening applications can be configured. Settings use a TOML file that the software does not create automatically. The project describes Alacritty as beta, with missing features and bugs still to address. It has no tabs, split panes, or graphical configuration editor, and requires OpenGL ES 2.0. Windows use requires ConPTY support on Windows 10 version 1809 or higher.