kitty vs WezTerm
kitty
sw.kovidgoyal.net
WezTerm
wezterm.orgSide by side
| Figure | kitty | WezTerm |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 2 |
| Spec score · Terminal apps | 8.3 (#10) | 8.2 (#14) |
| Spec score · Terminal Emulators | 8.0 (#21) | 7.8 (#27) |
| Configuration | Its settings are stored in a human-editable configuration file and the program is highly configurable. | Configuration uses a file with hot reloading. |
| GPU acceleration | Yes | Yes |
| Rendering | kitty uses OpenGL for rendering and supports Unicode, true color, bold and italic fonts, and text formatting. | Features include ligatures, color emoji, font fallback, true color and dynamic color schemes. |
| Scripting API | Yes | Yes |
| Split panes | Yes | Yes |
| SSH support | Yes | Yes |
| Supported platforms | Linux,macOS | Windows,macOS,Linux |
Plans
In their own words
WezTerm
WezTerm is a terminal emulator and multiplexer for Windows, macOS, and Linux, implemented in Rust. It organizes terminal panes, tabs, and windows across local and remote hosts, with mouse support and scrollback. Rendering features include ligatures, color emoji, font fallback, true color, and dynamic color schemes. Configuration is file-based and supports hot reloading. An embedded SSH client provides native tabs, and WezTerm can connect to remote multiplexer instances over SSH or TLS over TCP/IP. Ad-hoc SSH sessions are non-persistent: if the network connection is interrupted, their tabs end. It can also connect to serial ports for embedded and Arduino work. Shell integration supports escape sequences for working directories, prompt zones, and user variables; user variables can work through tmux when passthrough is enabled. Image support includes the iTerm2-compatible and Kitty graphics protocols, plus experimental Sixel graphics. Pre-built downloads are listed for Windows, macOS, Linux, FreeBSD, and NetBSD, and the code can be built from source. Windows requires 64-bit Windows 10.0.17763 or later. The MIT license permits use, modification, and distribution free of charge, with the software provided as-is without warranty.