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Guake alternatives: 4 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Guake: hotkeys can be awkward on Wayland, and linux only. We ranked 4 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Guake, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Yakuake currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Yakuake logoYakuakeOpen sourceYesLinux3 of 366.5
2Tilix logoTilixOpen sourceYesLinux3 of 362.6
3kitty logokittyOpen sourceYesLinux, macOS4 of 459.6
4Ghostty logoGhosttyOpen sourceYesmacOS, Linux5 of 557.2
  1. Yakuake logo

    1. YakuakeTop pick

    Best for: KDE Plasma users who want a terminal on a hotkey

    Open sourceLinux

    66.5

    score / 100

    Why switch from Guake

    The KDE equivalent, built on Konsole.

    Pros

    • Konsole features in a drop-down window
    • Tabs and split terminals
    • Tight Plasma integration

    Cons

    • Depends on KDE libraries
    • Linux only
    • Less useful outside Plasma
    Visit Yakuake 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 Yakuake a good Guake alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    License
    GPL-2.0 or later
    Checked Oct 25, 2026apps.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Based on
    Konsole
    Checked Oct 25, 2026apps.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
    Behaviour
    Rolls down from the top of the screen
    Checked Oct 25, 2026apps.kde.org(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Tilix logo

    2. Tilix

    Best for: Linux desktop users who want split-pane tiling without using tmux

    Open sourceLinux

    62.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Guake

    Tiling terminal that also has a Quake-style mode.

    Pros

    • Flexible splits with drag-and-drop rearranging
    • Saved sessions and layouts
    • Quake-style drop-down mode

    Cons

    • Slow development in recent years
    • Still on GTK 3
    • Linux only
    Visit Tilix 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 Tilix a good Guake alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    License
    MPL-2.0
    Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Description
    Advanced GTK3 tiling terminal
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gnunn1.github.io(opens source in a new tab)
    Drag and drop
    Rearrange terminals within and between windows
    Checked Oct 25, 2026gnunn1.github.io(opens source in a new tab)
  3. kitty logo

    3. kitty

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

    Open sourceLinux, macOS

    59.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Guake

    Fast terminal that can run as a quick-access panel.

    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 ×0.377
    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 kitty a good Guake 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)
  4. Ghostty logo

    4. Ghostty

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

    Open sourcemacOS, Linux

    57.2

    score / 100

    Why switch from Guake

    Includes a quick terminal drop-down along with full windows.

    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 ×0.369
    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 Ghostty a good Guake 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)

The best Guake alternative for…

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

Yakuake logo

Best Guake alternative for most people

Yakuake

The KDE equivalent, built on Konsole.

Tilix logo

Best Guake alternative for a free option

Tilix

Tiling terminal that also has a Quake-style mode.

kitty logo

Best Guake alternative for open source

kitty

Fast terminal that can run as a quick-access panel.

Ghostty logo

Best Guake alternative for Mac

Ghostty

Includes a quick terminal drop-down along with full windows.

Yakuake logo

Best Guake alternative for Linux

Yakuake

The KDE equivalent, built on Konsole.

Guake alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Guake?

Yakuake ranks first right now. The KDE equivalent, built on Konsole. Tilix and kitty follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Guake?

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

Is there an open-source alternative to Guake?

Yes: Yakuake, Tilix, kitty and Ghostty.

Which Guake alternatives work on Linux?

Yakuake, Tilix, kitty and Ghostty run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Guake?

The complaints we hear most: hotkeys can be awkward on Wayland; linux only; many terminals now include a similar quick mode.

How is this list ranked?

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