Ghostty vs kitty
Updated October 2026 · AppBreakup editorial
Ghostty
Fast, native, GPU-accelerated terminal for macOS and Linux created by Mitchell Hashimoto.
kitty
Fast, feature-rich GPU terminal for Linux and macOS with layouts, graphics and Python extensions.
The short answer
Both are fast, free, GPU-rendered terminals for macOS and Linux. Choose Ghostty if you want native-feeling windows and tabs with good defaults and almost no setup. Choose kitty if you want built-in tiling layouts, Python kittens and remote control for scripting. The core difference: Ghostty aims to feel native out of the box, while kitty is a power tool that rewards configuration.
Ghostty or kitty: our take
Ghostty, started by HashiCorp co-founder Mitchell Hashimoto, uses each platform's own interface toolkit: Swift and AppKit with Metal rendering on macOS, GTK with OpenGL on Linux. Tabs, splits and its Quake-style quick terminal are drawn with native components, so it looks and behaves like a regular app on each system. Configuration is a plain text file with sensible defaults, and many people use it without touching it. It is younger than kitty and lacks a built-in multiplexer or scripting API.
kitty, written by Calibre developer Kovid Goyal, renders with OpenGL using threaded rendering and SIMD instructions for low latency. It builds in tabs, multiple windows per tab and several tiling layouts, which lets many users drop tmux. Small Python programs called kittens add image viewing, file diffs and remote file editing over SSH, and the terminal can be controlled from scripts. kitty created the terminal graphics protocol and an extended keyboard protocol that Ghostty also supports. Its author is firm about design choices, and there is no settings UI.
On licensing and platforms they are close. Ghostty is MIT licensed and runs on macOS and Linux, with Windows planned. kitty is GPL-3.0 and runs on Linux, macOS and the BSDs, with no Windows support. Neither costs anything.
If you want a quick, polished terminal that feels at home on a Mac or GNOME desktop and you are happy to keep using tmux or nothing at all for splits, Ghostty is the easier start. If you want the terminal itself to handle layouts, sessions and scripted automation, and do not mind editing a config file to get there, kitty offers more depth.
Which should you pick?
Choose Ghostty if…
- Mac and Linux users who want a fast terminal that feels native with little setup
- Native UI on each platform with GPU rendering
- Good defaults and a simple config file
Choose kitty if…
- Linux and Mac users who want a fast, scriptable terminal with built-in tiling
- Very fast GPU rendering with low latency
- Built-in tabs, splits and layouts reduce the need for tmux
About each app
What is 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.
What is kitty?
kitty is a GPU-based terminal emulator written by Kovid Goyal, the developer of the Calibre e-book manager. It renders with OpenGL using threaded rendering and SIMD instructions to stay fast and low-latency, and it builds in features that many people otherwise get from tmux: tabs, multiple windows inside a tab, several tiling layouts and startup sessions. Small Python programs called kittens add things like viewing images in the terminal, diffing files, browsing Unicode, editing remote files over SSH and choosing themes. kitty created the widely adopted terminal graphics protocol and an extended keyboard protocol, so tools such as image previewers often support it first. Configuration lives in a plain text file and the terminal can be controlled remotely from scripts. It is free and GPL-3.0 licensed. It does not support Windows, and its author is firm about design choices, so some requests, like certain tmux behaviours, are declined.
Side by side
| Attribute | Ghostty | kitty |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Open source | Open source |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux | Linux, macOS |
| Best for | Mac and Linux users who want a fast terminal that feels native with little setup | Linux and Mac users who want a fast, scriptable terminal with built-in tiling |
| Status | Active | Active |
Verified facts, compared
Facts both apps publish, checked on each vendor's own site.
| Fact | Ghostty | kitty |
|---|---|---|
| License | MIT | GPL-3.0 |
| Platforms | macOS and Linux | Linux, macOS, BSDs |
| Rendering | Metal on macOS, OpenGL on Linux | GPU with SIMD instructions |
Ghostty vs kitty pricing
Platforms
| Platform | Ghostty | kitty |
|---|---|---|
| macOS | ||
| Linux |
Ghostty facts
5 of 5 verified- 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!).”
kitty facts
4 of 4 verified- License
- GPL-3.0
- Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
- “License: GPL-3.0 (GNU General Public License v3.0).”
- Rendering
- GPU with SIMD instructions
- Checked Oct 25, 2026sw.kovidgoyal.net(opens source in a new tab)
- “Fast Uses GPU and SIMD vector CPU instructions”
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, BSDs
- Checked Oct 25, 2026sw.kovidgoyal.net(opens source in a new tab)
- “Cross-platform Linux macOS Various BSDs”
- Extensions
- Kittens written in Python
- Checked Oct 25, 2026sw.kovidgoyal.net(opens source in a new tab)
- “Extend with kittens using the Python language”
Pros and cons of Ghostty
- Native UI on each platform with GPU rendering
- Good defaults and a simple config file
- Supports modern protocols like Kitty graphics
- No Windows version yet
- No built-in multiplexer or scripting API
- Younger project with fewer niche features than iTerm2
Pros and cons of kitty
- 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
- No Windows support
- Config file only, no settings UI
- Opinionated defaults and design decisions
Other apps to consider
Ghostty vs kitty: common questions
Is Ghostty better than kitty?
Both are fast, free, GPU-rendered terminals for macOS and Linux. Choose Ghostty if you want native-feeling windows and tabs with good defaults and almost no setup. Choose kitty if you want built-in tiling layouts, Python kittens and remote control for scripting. The core difference: Ghostty aims to feel native out of the box, while kitty is a power tool that rewards configuration.
Is Ghostty free?
Yes. Ghostty is free, open-source software.
Is kitty free?
Yes. kitty is free, open-source software.
Is Ghostty or kitty open source?
Both are open source.
Which platforms do Ghostty and kitty support?
Ghostty: macOS and Linux. kitty: Linux and macOS.