muxterm vs Shpool
muxterm
github.comShpool
github.comSide by side
| Figure | muxterm | Shpool |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Web | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | — | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 7.8 (#11) | 7.5 (#17) |
| License | The repository identifies the project as MIT licensed. | The GitHub repository identifies the project as licensed under Apache-2.0. |
| Platforms | The README provides macOS Homebrew and Linux installation instructions, says Windows Scoop support is coming soon, and says binaries are attached to GitHub releases. | Shpool runs on Linux and macOS; Linux is the primary supported platform, and some macOS tests do not pass. |
Plans
In their own words
muxterm
Muxterm is a free, self-hosted terminal multiplexer with a browser interface and a Go session daemon. Users can split panes, group them into named workspaces and switch workspaces from a bar. The daemon runs separately from the HTTP server, allowing shells to persist across server restarts, deployments and reboots. Server-side VT emulation retains a live screen snapshot that can restore full-screen applications after reconnecting. Its installable PWA supports desktop and mobile use, with service-worker offline support. For MCP-compatible agents, the server provides 25 tools across seven categories for managing workspaces, panes, terminals and other functions. Documented integrations include Claude Code, OpenCode and Amplifier; lifecycle reporting is available for Claude, Codex and Amplifier wrappers. Authentication uses HMAC tokens, with a localhost bypass for local use. A file-publishing tool can expose one local file at an unguessable public URL, with a 24-hour default expiry, a seven-day maximum and revocation for future reads. The project is MIT licensed and self-hosted as a single binary. Windows support is listed as coming soon.
Shpool
Shpool is free, open-source software for keeping named shell sessions alive when connections drop. It targets users who want persistence without terminal multiplexing features such as split windows or tiled panes, preserving native terminal scrollback and copy-paste. For SSH, Shpool runs on the remote host and needs no additional client software. Users reconnect with `shpool attach`; the terminal state is redrawn after reattachment. The command line can list, detach, or kill sessions, and `--ttl` sets a session lifetime. Variables in session names and attach options can redirect terminals to newly named sessions when values change. Bash, zsh, and fish support automatic session-name prompt prefixes. The README documents SSH configuration, shell-function patterns, Cargo installation through crates.io, and Homebrew installation on macOS. Shpool supports Linux, macOS, SSH, and command-line shells. It is licensed Apache-2.0, reports zero advisories, and allows only one client per session.