openmux vs WMUX
openmux
github.comWMUX
github.comSide by side
| Figure | openmux | WMUX |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| Windows | — | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | — |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Terminal Multiplexers | 8.2 (#5) | 7.2 (#23) |
| Configuration | Configuration changes for layout, theme, and keybindings hot-reload while openmux is running. | WMUX creates a default configuration file on first use and provides commands to inspect its path, contents, and effective configuration. |
| Intended users | The README presents openmux as a terminal multiplexer and compares its behavior and architecture with tmux and Zellij. | The project describes WMUX for people who need persistent terminal workspaces for shells, servers, logs, builds, agents, and projects. |
| License | The repository identifies the software as MIT licensed. | WMUX is available under the MIT License. |
| Platforms | The README lists prebuilt binaries for macOS Apple Silicon and Linux x64 / arm64. | Release targets include Windows x86-64, Linux x86-64 and ARM64, and macOS Intel and Apple Silicon. |
| Sessions | Sessions persist workspace layouts and pane working directories, and are auto-saved under ~/.config/openmux/sessions/. | Its persistent server manages sessions, windows, panes, terminal state, layouts, options, commands, paste buffers, jobs, and clients. |
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.
WMUX
WMUX is a terminal multiplexer that keeps local terminal workspaces alive when a terminal client disconnects. Its persistent server manages sessions, windows, panes, terminal state, layouts, options, commands, paste buffers, jobs, and clients. That scope is intended for shells, servers, logs, builds, agents, and project work. Users can split panes left or right, or top or bottom, navigate among them, and zoom a pane. WMUX creates a default configuration file on first use, with commands to inspect its path, contents, and effective configuration. It runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows; Windows uses native platform mechanisms without a POSIX emulation layer. The software is free and MIT-licensed. Windows ARM64 builds and package-manager repositories are not currently provided. Release archives have SHA-256 sidecar files, and GitHub attestations can be used to verify build provenance. Its v1 binaries are not Authenticode-signed or Apple-notarized, so Windows SmartScreen or macOS Gatekeeper may show a trust prompt.