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

#	App	Pricing	Open source	Platforms	Verified facts	Score
1	WezTerm	Open source	Yes	Linux, macOS, Windows	4 of 4	62.6
2	Rio	Open source	Yes	macOS, Windows, Linux	4 of 4	55.3

1. WezTermTop pick
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)
2. 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.

Best Alacritty alternative for most people

kitty

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

Best Alacritty alternative for a free option

WezTerm

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

Best Alacritty alternative for open source

Ghostty

Fast and native with tabs and splits included.

Best Alacritty alternative for Mac

Rio

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

Best Alacritty alternative for Windows

WezTerm

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

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.