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Zellij

Terminal workspace and multiplexer with discoverable keybindings, layouts and WebAssembly plugins.

Open sourceTerminal emulators
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About Zellij

Zellij is a terminal multiplexer written in Rust that aims to be easier to pick up than tmux. A status bar shows the available shortcuts for the current mode, so you can learn as you go, and panes, tabs, floating panes and stacked panes are all built in. Layouts written in KDL describe whole workspaces, with commands that start in each pane, and sessions can be detached, resurrected after a reboot and shared with collaborators. Plugins can be written in any language that compiles to WebAssembly, and a built-in web client lets you open sessions in a browser. Zellij runs on Linux and macOS, with Windows support listed on its site. It is free and MIT licensed. It uses more resources than tmux, and some long-time tmux users find its keybindings clash with other terminal programs until they are adjusted.

Best for: People who want tmux-style sessions with less configuration and visible shortcuts.

Pros and cons

What works

  • On-screen hints make shortcuts discoverable
  • Floating and stacked panes, layouts and session resurrection
  • Plugins in any language that compiles to WebAssembly

Why people leave

  • Heavier than tmux
  • Default keybindings can clash with other programs
  • Smaller ecosystem than tmux

Top Zellij alternatives

See all 4
  1. 1tmux logo
    tmux

    Lighter, more established multiplexer available almost everywhere.

    66.5
  2. 2WezTerm logo
    WezTerm

    Terminal with multiplexing built in, no separate tool needed.

    62.6
  3. 3kitty logo
    kitty

    Built-in layouts and tabs for local tiling.

    59.6
  4. 4Tilix logo
    Tilix

    Graphical tiling terminal for Linux desktops.

    57.2

Why people left Zellij

In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.

No switching stories yet. If you moved away from Zellij, review the app you switched to and tell us why.

Reviews

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Zellij: common questions

Is Zellij free?

Yes. Zellij is free, open-source software.

Is Zellij open source?

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

What platforms does Zellij run on?

Zellij is available for Linux, macOS and Windows.

What are the best alternatives to Zellij?

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

See all 4 Zellij alternatives