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foot alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave foot: wayland only, no X11, macOS or Windows, and no tabs or splits. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces foot, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Alacritty currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Alacritty logoAlacrittyOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS, Windows4 of 466.5
2kitty logokittyOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS4 of 462.6
3Ghostty logoGhosttyOpen sourceYesmacOS, Linux5 of 559.6
4WezTerm logoWezTermOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS, Windows4 of 457.2
  1. Alacritty logo

    1. AlacrittyTop pick

    Best for: Minimalists who run tmux or a tiling window manager and want a fast terminal

    Open sourceLinux, macOS, Windows

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from foot

    Similarly minimal, but also runs on X11, macOS and Windows.

    Pros

    • Fast and lightweight with simple defaults
    • Runs on Linux, BSD, macOS and Windows
    • Vi mode and hints for keyboard-driven use

    Cons

    • No tabs or splits by design
    • No ligatures or inline image support
    • Configuration is file-only
    Visit Alacritty 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 Alacritty a good foot alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    License
    Apache-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    BSD, Linux, macOS, Windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026alacritty.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Maturity
    Beta
    Checked Oct 25, 2026alacritty.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Config format
    TOML
    Checked Oct 25, 2026alacritty.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. kitty logo

    2. kitty

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

    Open sourceLinux, macOS

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from foot

    Adds tabs, layouts and a graphics protocol with GPU rendering.

    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 ×0.387
    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 kitty a good foot 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)
  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 foot

    Native GTK terminal with tabs and splits on Wayland and X11.

    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 foot 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. WezTerm logo

    4. WezTerm

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

    Open sourceLinux, macOS, Windows

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from foot

    Feature-rich cross-platform terminal with a multiplexer.

    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 ×0.369
    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 foot 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)

The best foot alternative for…

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

Alacritty logo

Best foot alternative for most people

Alacritty

Similarly minimal, but also runs on X11, macOS and Windows.

kitty logo

Best foot alternative for a free option

kitty

Adds tabs, layouts and a graphics protocol with GPU rendering.

Ghostty logo

Best foot alternative for open source

Ghostty

Native GTK terminal with tabs and splits on Wayland and X11.

WezTerm logo

Best foot alternative for Mac

WezTerm

Feature-rich cross-platform terminal with a multiplexer.

Alacritty logo

Best foot alternative for Windows

Alacritty

Similarly minimal, but also runs on X11, macOS and Windows.

Alacritty logo

Best foot alternative for Linux

Alacritty

Similarly minimal, but also runs on X11, macOS and Windows.

foot alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to foot?

Alacritty ranks first right now. Similarly minimal, but also runs on X11, macOS and Windows. kitty and Ghostty follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to foot?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to foot?

Yes: Alacritty, kitty, Ghostty and WezTerm.

Which foot alternatives work on Linux?

Alacritty, kitty, Ghostty and WezTerm run on Linux.

Why do people switch from foot?

The complaints we hear most: wayland only, no X11, macOS or Windows; no tabs or splits; configuration is file-only.

How is this list ranked?

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