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Alacritty alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Alacritty: no tabs or splits by design, and no ligatures or inline image support. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Alacritty, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. kitty currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1kitty logokittyOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS4 of 466.5
2WezTerm logoWezTermOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS, Windows4 of 462.6
3Ghostty logoGhosttyOpen sourceYesmacOS, Linux5 of 559.6
4foot logofootOpen sourceYesLinux3 of 357.2
5Rio logoRioOpen sourceYesmacOS, Windows, Linux4 of 455.3
  1. kitty logo

    1. kittyTop pick

    Best for: Linux and Mac users who want a fast, scriptable terminal with built-in tiling

    Open sourceLinux, macOS

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Alacritty

    Similar speed with built-in tabs, layouts and image support.

    Pros

    • Very fast GPU rendering with low latency
    • Built-in tabs, splits and layouts reduce the need for tmux
    • Kittens and remote control make it highly scriptable

    Cons

    • No Windows support
    • Config file only, no settings UI
    • Opinionated defaults and design decisions
    Visit kitty Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is kitty a good Alacritty alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    GPL-3.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Rendering
    GPU with SIMD instructions
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sw.kovidgoyal.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Linux, macOS, BSDs
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sw.kovidgoyal.net(opens source in a new tab)
    Extensions
    Kittens written in Python
    Checked Oct 25, 2026sw.kovidgoyal.net(opens source in a new tab)
  2. WezTerm logo

    2. WezTerm

    Best for: Developers who want one scriptable terminal and multiplexer across every OS

    Open sourceLinux, macOS, Windows

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Alacritty

    Adds tabs, a multiplexer and ligatures while staying cross-platform.

    Pros

    • Same terminal and config on Linux, macOS and Windows
    • Built-in multiplexer with SSH domains
    • Lua configuration allows real scripting

    Cons

    • Stable releases are infrequent
    • Lua config can be daunting
    • Largely maintained by one person
    Visit WezTerm Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is WezTerm a good Alacritty alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Platforms
    Linux, macOS, Windows 10, FreeBSD, NetBSD
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wezterm.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Multiplexing
    Local and remote panes, tabs and windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wezterm.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Language
    Rust
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wezterm.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Fonts
    Ligatures, colour emoji, font fallback
    Checked Oct 25, 2026wezterm.org(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Ghostty logo

    3. Ghostty

    Best for: Mac and Linux users who want a fast terminal that feels native with little setup

    Open sourcemacOS, Linux

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Alacritty

    Fast and native with tabs and splits included.

    Pros

    • Native UI on each platform with GPU rendering
    • Good defaults and a simple config file
    • Supports modern protocols like Kitty graphics

    Cons

    • No Windows version yet
    • No built-in multiplexer or scripting API
    • Younger project with fewer niche features than iTerm2
    Visit Ghostty Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Ghostty a good Alacritty alternative?

    Verified facts

    5 of 5 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS and Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Windows
    Planned
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Rendering
    Metal on macOS, OpenGL on Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Creator
    Mitchell Hashimoto
    Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Rio logo

    5. Rio

    Best for: People who want a fast Rust terminal with tabs, splits and image support on any OS

    Open sourcemacOS, Windows, Linux

    55.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Alacritty

    Another Rust GPU terminal that adds tabs, splits and image protocols.

    Pros

    • GPU rendering across macOS, Windows and Linux
    • Supports Kitty, iTerm2 and Sixel image protocols
    • Tabs and split panels built in

    Cons

    • Younger project with a smaller community
    • Config file only
    • Some features still marked as in development
    Visit Rio Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.363
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Rio a good Alacritty alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    MIT
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Windows
    Windows 10 or later
    Checked Oct 25, 2026rioterm.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Image protocols
    Kitty graphics, iTerm2, Sixel
    Checked Oct 25, 2026rioterm.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source
    Yes
    Checked Oct 25, 2026rioterm.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Alacritty alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

kitty logo

Best Alacritty alternative for most people

kitty

Similar speed with built-in tabs, layouts and image support.

WezTerm logo

Best Alacritty alternative for a free option

WezTerm

Adds tabs, a multiplexer and ligatures while staying cross-platform.

Ghostty logo

Best Alacritty alternative for open source

Ghostty

Fast and native with tabs and splits included.

Rio logo

Best Alacritty alternative for Mac

Rio

Another Rust GPU terminal that adds tabs, splits and image protocols.

WezTerm logo

Best Alacritty alternative for Windows

WezTerm

Adds tabs, a multiplexer and ligatures while staying cross-platform.

foot logo

Best Alacritty alternative for Linux

foot

Even lighter, for Wayland-only Linux desktops.

Alacritty alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Alacritty?

kitty ranks first right now. Similar speed with built-in tabs, layouts and image support. WezTerm and Ghostty follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Alacritty?

Yes. kitty (open source), WezTerm (open source), Ghostty (open source) and foot (open source) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Alacritty?

Yes: kitty, WezTerm, Ghostty and foot, plus 1 more in the list above.

Which Alacritty alternatives work on Linux?

kitty, WezTerm, Ghostty, foot and Rio run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Alacritty?

The complaints we hear most: no tabs or splits by design; no ligatures or inline image support; configuration is file-only.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Alacritty, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.