Ghostty vs Tabby

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.

Tabby is a free, open-source terminal app for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It connects to local shells, serial devices, SSH servers, and Telnet hosts, and supports shell environments including PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash, Cygwin, and CMD. Its SSH2 client has a connection manager, while the serial terminal offers connection profiles and input modes. SSH sessions support SFTP and Zmodem file transfers, X11 and port forwarding, jump hosts, and agent forwarding. Tabby can restore open tabs and split panes after you leave the app, and nested panes support simultaneous input. SSH secrets and configuration can be stored in an encrypted container; an optional password manager uses a master passphrase. Customization includes CSS themes, color schemes, shortcuts, and plugins. Other listed capabilities include GPU acceleration, session sync, scripting, portable mode, Explorer integration, and WinSCP integration. The app is described as forever-free FOSS. The page provides download and GitHub links but states no dedicated support terms.