Ghostty

Fast, native, GPU-accelerated terminal for macOS and Linux created by Mitchell Hashimoto.

Verified facts: 5 of 5
Alternatives ranked: 6
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Ghostty

Ghostty is an open-source terminal emulator started by Mitchell Hashimoto, co-founder of HashiCorp, with the goal of not making users choose between speed, features and a native interface. On macOS it uses a native Swift and AppKit interface with Metal rendering; on Linux it uses GTK with OpenGL. It supports multiple windows, tabs and splits drawn with platform-native components, a Quake-style quick terminal, ligatures, many built-in themes, and modern protocols such as the Kitty graphics and keyboard protocols. Configuration is a simple text file with sensible defaults, so many people use it with almost no setup. The core is written in Zig and is also offered as libghostty for other apps. Ghostty is free and MIT licensed. It does not run on Windows yet, and it lacks some advanced extras found in iTerm2 or WezTerm, such as a built-in multiplexer or scripting API.

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

What works

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

Why people leave

No Windows version yet
No built-in multiplexer or scripting API
Younger project with fewer niche features than iTerm2

Top Ghostty alternatives

See all 6

1
kitty
Similar GPU speed with built-in layouts and Python-based extensions.
66.5
2
iTerm2
More features and integrations on macOS, including tmux mode and triggers.
62.6
3
WezTerm
Runs on Windows too and includes its own multiplexer.
59.6
4
Alacritty
Even more minimal, with Windows support.
57.2
5
Warp
Adds AI agents and command blocks if you want more than a classic terminal.
55.3

Why people left Ghostty

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Ghostty: common questions

Is Ghostty free?

Yes. Ghostty is free, open-source software.

Is Ghostty open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at ghostty-org/ghostty.

What platforms does Ghostty run on?

Ghostty is available for macOS and Linux.

What are the best alternatives to Ghostty?

The highest-ranked Ghostty alternatives right now are kitty, iTerm2 and WezTerm. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 6 Ghostty alternatives

Ghostty facts

5 of 5 verified

License: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Platforms: macOS and Linux; Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab); “Ghostty runs on macOS and Linux.”
Windows: Planned; Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab); “Windows support is planned for the future.”
Rendering: Metal on macOS, OpenGL on Linux; Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab); “GPU-accelerated rendering : Ghostty uses Metal on macOS and OpenGL on Linux to render the terminal screen.”
Creator: Mitchell Hashimoto; Checked Oct 25, 2026ghostty.org(opens source in a new tab); “Before diving into the details, I also want to note that Ghostty is a passion project started by Mitchell Hashimoto (that's me!).”