tmux AlternativesTop Terminal Emulators and other similar apps like tmux

tmux is described as 'Terminal multiplexer: it enables a number of terminals (or windows), each running a separate program, to be created, accessed, and controlled from a single screen. tmux may be detached from a screen and continue running in the background, then later reattached' and is a very popular terminal emulator in the os & utilities category. There are more than 10 alternatives to tmux for Linux, Mac, Windows, Rust and Wayland. The best tmux alternative is GNU Screen, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like tmux are WezTerm, byobu, Zellij and Wemux.

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Alternatives list

  1. GNU Screen icon
     89 likes
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    Offers full-screen terminal multiplexing with independent windows, VT100 emulation, scrollback, and copy-paste. Supports ANSI standards, detaching, and persistent background process execution for shells or commands across Unix-like systems.

    12 GNU Screen alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
     
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    Comments about GNU Screen as an Alternative to tmux
    9y0xwefhpw
    Positive
    0

    It has the most intuitive key bindings and the vastest range of capabilities amongst the ones I have tried. However, the first thing you should do after installation is to change command character because it is terrible choice.

    tmux Icon
    GNU Screen icon
    • Almost everyone thinks GNU Screen is a great tmux alternative.

    • GNU Screen is the most popular Mac & Linux alternative to tmux.

    • GNU Screen is the most popular Open Source & free alternative to tmux.

    • GNU Screen is Free and Open Sourcetmux is also Free and Open Source
    • GNU Screen is Customizabletmux is not according to our users
  2. WezTerm icon
     20 likes
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    A GPU-accelerated cross-platform terminal emulator and multiplexer written by @wez and implemented in Rust

    99 WezTerm alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
     
    • WezTerm is the most popular Windows alternative to tmux.

    • WezTerm is Free and Open Sourcetmux is also Free and Open Source
  3. byobu icon
     24 likes
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    Byobu is a GPLv3 open source text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer. It was originally designed to provide elegant enhancements to the otherwise functional, plain, practical GNU Screen , for the Ubuntu server distribution.

    9 byobu alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
     
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    1
    7
    Comments about byobu as an Alternative to tmux
    Guest
    Negative
    0

    byobu uses tmux as a back-end. It's literally just alternative keybindings and a predefined status bar. It's tmux configuration, not tmux replacement.

    Review by a new / low-activity user.
    tmux Icon
    byobu icon
    • Most users think byobu is a great tmux alternative.

    • byobu is Free and Open Sourcetmux is also Free and Open Source
  4. Zellij icon
     8 likes
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    Zellij is a terminal workspace. It has the base functionality of a terminal multiplexer (similar to tmux or screen) but includes many built-in features that would allow users to extend it and create their own personalized environment.

    11 Zellij alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
     
  5. Wemux icon
     3 likes
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    wemux - Multi-User Tmux Made Easy.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  6.  1 like
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    Twin is a windowing environment with mouse support, window manager, terminal emulator and networked clients, all inside a text display.

    10 Twin alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  7. dtach icon
     7 likes
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    dtach is a tiny program that emulates the detach feature of screen, allowing you to run a program in an environment that is protected from the controlling terminal and attach to it later. dtach does not keep track of the contents of the screen, and thus works best with programs...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  8. abduco icon
     2 likes
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    abduco provides session management i.e. it allows programs to be run independently from their controlling terminal. That is programs can be detached - run in the background - and then later reattached. Together with dvtm it provides a simpler and cleaner alternative to tmux or...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
     
  9. itmux icon
     1 like
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    itmux is a packaging of Tmux, Mintty, OpenSSH client and Cygwin to offer a standalone ssh-enabled terminal multiplexer for Windows systems.

    3 itmux alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Windows
     
  10.  1 like
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    shpool is a service that enables session persistence by allowing the creation of named shell sessions owned by shpool so that the session is not lost if the connection drops. shpool can be thought of as a lighter weight alternative to tmux or GNU screen.

    11 shpool alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Rust
     
  11. mtm icon
     2 likes
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    Perhaps the smallest useful terminal multiplexer in the world.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
     
  12. diss icon
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    A dtach-like program / crate in Rust.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Rust
     
12 of 13 tmux alternatives