dvtm vs openmux
dvtm
brain-dump.orgopenmux
github.comSide by side
| Figure | dvtm | openmux |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | — | Free |
| Free plan | — | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | — | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 0 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 7.4 (#18) | 8.2 (#5) |
| Configuration | Users customize key bindings by creating a config.h file and recompiling the source. | Configuration changes for layout, theme, and keybindings hot-reload while openmux is running. |
| Installation | Users can download the source tarball and compile it with curses headers, or install a distribution-provided binary package. | The project documents installation via curl, npm, Bun, source build, and GitHub release binaries. |
| Intended users | The project describes dvtm as a console window manager for people working with multiple console based programs. | The README presents openmux as a terminal multiplexer and compares its behavior and architecture with tmux and Zellij. |
| License | The project is released under the MIT/X11 license, and its terminal emulation component is under the ISC license. | The repository identifies the software as MIT licensed. |
Plans
In their own words
openmux
openmux is a terminal multiplexer for Linux and macOS, with vertical, horizontal, and stacked pane layouts and nine workspaces. Each workspace can keep its own pane arrangement. Vim-style hjkl navigation and a Ctrl+b prefix provide two ways to control panes. Sessions preserve workspace layouts and pane working directories; users can detach while a background shim keeps running, then reattach from another client. The project also offers an aggregate PTY browser for filtering and previewing terminals by process, directory, or Git branch. Terminal features include mouse tracking, scrollback, pane zoom, and Kitty graphics support for image rendering, pixel sizing, and SSH-aware offloading. Its CLI handles session and pane operations such as creating sessions, splitting panes, sending text, capturing output, and listing sessions as JSON. Configuration changes for layout, theme, and keybindings hot-reload while openmux is running. The MIT-licensed project is listed at free. Installation options include a curl script, npm, Bun, source build, or prebuilt binaries for macOS Apple Silicon and Linux x64 or arm64.