kitty vs Alacritty

kitty9.0Visit Alacritty8.5Visit

Higher score kitty #4 in Terminal Emulators 9.0/10 Open source ✓ 4 of 5 features Visit kitty

vs

Alacritty #8 in Terminal Emulators 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Alacritty

• kitty fits best

  Linux and macOS power users needing SSH tooling

• Alacritty fits best

  Minimalist cross-platform users prioritizing fast rendering

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Side by side

Feature	kitty 9.0/10 Visit ↗	Alacritty 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.5
Ranking	#4 in Terminal Emulators	#8 in Terminal Emulators
Best for	Linux and macOS power users needing SSH tooling	Minimalist cross-platform users prioritizing fast rendering
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Open source	Free plan
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Linux, macOS	Linux, macOS, Windows
Integrations	3 integrations	2 integrations
Features kitty 4/5 · Alacritty 2/5
Split panes	✓ (best)	—
Session sync	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
GPU acceleration	✓	✓
Scripting API	✓	✓
SSH support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Linux, macOS	Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD
Our review
Pros	GPU-accelerated rendering with tabs, windows, and split layouts SSH connection reuse plus remote file editing, opening, and downloading Programmable kittens, scripting, remote control, and saved sessions	GPU-accelerated OpenGL rendering across Linux, macOS, and Windows Search, Vi mode, regex hints, and mouse-based URL opening Live reload, multiple windows, and IPC control via alacritty msg
Cons	Documented directory support is limited to Linux and macOS Its extensive controls and extensions may require configuration effort No cross-device session synchronization is documented	No built-in split panes; pane layouts rely on external tools No built-in session synchronization Focused on terminal emulation rather than replacing shell tools
Our verdict	kitty is a GPU-based terminal emulator for power users and developers who need more than a basic command-line window. It combines tabs, windows, split layouts, configurable keyboard controls, terminal graphics, ligatures, hyperlinks, shell… Read the review →	Alacritty is an open-source terminal emulator for people who work with command-line shells on Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD. Its focus is a fast, configurable terminal experience that works with existing shells and terminal tools instead… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• kitty — where it wins

  • GPU-accelerated rendering with tabs, windows, and split layouts
  • SSH connection reuse plus remote file editing, opening, and downloading
  • Programmable kittens, scripting, remote control, and saved sessions

  Where it doesn't

  • Documented directory support is limited to Linux and macOS
  • Its extensive controls and extensions may require configuration effort
  • No cross-device session synchronization is documented

• Alacritty — where it wins

  • GPU-accelerated OpenGL rendering across Linux, macOS, and Windows
  • Search, Vi mode, regex hints, and mouse-based URL opening
  • Live reload, multiple windows, and IPC control via alacritty msg

  Where it doesn't

  • No built-in split panes; pane layouts rely on external tools
  • No built-in session synchronization
  • Focused on terminal emulation rather than replacing shell tools

• kitty9.0/10 · Open source

  A programmable terminal with strong SSH workflows, graphics, layouts, and session control.

  Visit kittyFull verdict →
• Alacritty8.5/10 · Free plan

  A focused, open-source terminal with GPU rendering and strong configuration options.

  Visit AlacrittyFull verdict →