# WezTerm vs Kitty Published January 1, 2026 · Updated August 10, 2026 Kitty is the top pick for most Mac users looking at terminals. It is free and open-source and installs in one Homebrew command. WezTerm is the stronger choice if you are moving off Termius Pro. As of October 2026, both install with brew install --cask wezterm and brew install --cask kitty. For most Mac users in 2026, Kitty is the better choice for terminals because it ranks higher in Homebrew install popularity (#23). Both install with a single Homebrew command, so the switching cost is low. Choose WezTerm instead if you are moving off Termius Pro. ## Head to head | Factor | WezTerm | Kitty | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Open Source | Yes | Yes | | Replaces | Termius Pro ($10/month) | Warp ($20/month) | | Best for | terminal, gpu, multiplexer | terminal, gpu, fast | | Install | brew install --cask wezterm | brew install --cask kitty | | Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools | ## WezTerm GPU-accelerated terminal with multiplexer Install: `brew install --cask wezterm` [WezTerm on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/wezterm) ## Kitty GPU-based terminal emulator Install: `brew install --cask kitty` [Kitty on Bundl](https://bundl.run/apps/kitty) ## Features - **Configuration Model.** WezTerm wins pure programmability; kitty conf remains excellent. - **Multiplexing & Sessions.** WezTerm's built-in multiplexer is a structural advantage. - **Performance.** Slight edge to kitty in community performance reputation, both excellent. - **Graphics & Modern Protocols.** kitty leads protocol innovation. - **Release Stability on Mac.** kitty's release train is healthier for users who avoid nightlies. - **Cross-Platform Consistency.** WezTerm wins heterogeneous OS fleets. - **Tooling Ecosystem (kittens / CLI).** kitty's kitten ecosystem is a major productivity multiplier. - **Price & Licence.** Both free; licence family differs (MIT vs GPLv3). ## FAQ ### Which is faster, WezTerm or kitty? Both are GPU-accelerated and excellent. kitty often wins community throughput discussions; differences are small next to shell and SSH latency. ### Why does WezTerm push Nightly on Mac? The newest formal release tag is still from 2024-02; Nightly carries 2025-2026 macOS fixes and features. ### What is new in kitty 0.48? Vertical tabs plus continued fixes; 0.48.2 shipped 30 July 2026. ### Which has better config? WezTerm if you want Lua programming. kitty if you want a powerful conf file plus kittens. ### Do either include AI subscriptions? No. Both are free local terminals; run external agents if needed. ### Is kitty GPLv3 a problem? Only if your compliance team dislikes GPL for local tools; functionally it is free to use. ### Can WezTerm replace tmux? Often yes for local multiplexing and some SSH domain setups; remote attach patterns may still favour tmux. ### Homebrew installs? `brew install --cask kitty` and `brew install --cask wezterm` (or wezterm-nightly where packaged). ### Did the winner flip in 2026? No. kitty's active 0.48 train and WezTerm's Nightly reality reinforce the same split. ### What about Ghostty? Ghostty is another top free Mac terminal; this page focuses on WezTerm vs kitty specifically. ## Sources - [kitty changelog](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/changelog/) - [kitty homepage](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/) - [WezTerm documentation](https://wezterm.org/) - [WezTerm Lua config docs](https://wezterm.org/config/lua/wezterm/index.html) - [WezTerm GitHub releases](https://github.com/wezterm/wezterm/releases) - [kitty GitHub](https://github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty) - [WezTerm multiplexing docs](https://wezterm.org/multiplexing.html) - [kitty binary install](https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/binary/) ## Related - [Alacritty vs WezTerm](https://bundl.run/compare/alacritty-vs-wezterm) - [Alacritty vs Kitty](https://bundl.run/compare/alacritty-vs-kitty) - [Ghostty vs Kitty](https://bundl.run/compare/ghostty-vs-kitty) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://bundl.run/#organization", "name": "Bundl.run", "url": "https://bundl.run", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://bundl.run/og-image.png", "width": 1200, "height": 630 }, "description": "The Ninite for Mac. 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