Byobu vs wtmux
Byobu
byobu.orgwtmux
shmuelie.github.ioSide by side
| Figure | Byobu | wtmux |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | — |
| Free plan | Yes | — |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | — |
| Linux | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 0 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 8.1 (#6) | 6.5 (#28) |
| Configuration | An interactive F9 menu lets users toggle status notifications, change keybinding sets, select profiles, and switch backends. | wtmux reads `~/.wtmux.conf` or falls back to `~/.tmux.conf`, supporting a subset of tmux configuration syntax. |
| Integrations | Byobu integrates with tmux and GNU Screen as backends and can display system indicators including network, Wi-Fi, battery, updates, RAID status, and custom scripts. | The maker documents a DSC v3 resource for declaratively managing global wtmux options through WinGet Configuration or DSC v3. |
| License | Byobu is GPLv3-licensed open-source software hosted on GitHub. | The comparison page lists wtmux's license as MIT. |
| Purpose | Byobu is a text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer that wraps tmux or GNU Screen with keybindings, status notifications, profile management, and split-pane layouts. | wtmux runs multiple terminal sessions in one window, with panes, named windows, and detachable sessions. |
Plans
In their own words
Byobu
Byobu is a free, GPLv3-licensed text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer for Linux, BSD, and macOS. It runs over tmux or GNU Screen and adds function-key controls, status notifications, profiles, and split-pane layouts. Users can create, rename, reorder, split, zoom, and synchronize windows and panes, then save layouts for restoration or define repeatable window sets in configuration files. Detaching and reattaching preserves windows, processes, and history, with up to 10,000 lines of scrollback per window. A two-line status bar can display CPU, memory, disk, network, battery, load, time, and other indicators, each independently toggleable. The interactive F9 menu changes notifications, keybinding sets, profiles, and backend selection. Byobu defaults to tmux when available but supports GNU Screen and switching through byobu-select-backend. The project requires tmux 1.5 or later and/or GNU Screen. Support is largely volunteer-led through GitHub Issues and StackExchange.