kitty vs MobaXterm

kitty9.0Visit MobaXterm8.6Visit

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

vs

MobaXterm #7 in Terminal Emulators 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 0 of 5 features Visit MobaXterm

• kitty fits best

  Linux and macOS power users needing SSH tooling

• MobaXterm fits best

  Windows administrators managing many protocols

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature	kitty 9.0/10 Visit ↗	MobaXterm 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.0	8.6
Ranking	#4 in Terminal Emulators	#7 in Terminal Emulators
Best for	Linux and macOS power users needing SSH tooling	Windows administrators managing many protocols
Pricing model	Free	Free plan + paid
Starting price	Open source	—
Free plan	Not checked yet	✓ (best)
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Desktop	Desktop
Platforms	Linux, macOS	Windows
Features kitty 4/5 · MobaXterm 0/5
Split panes	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Session sync	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
GPU acceleration	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Scripting API	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
SSH support	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Supported platforms	Linux, macOS	Windows
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	Broad protocol coverage, including SSH, RDP, VNC, SFTP and Serial Embedded X server, graphical SFTP and SSH tunnel management Saved sessions, multi-execution and portable or installer versions
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	Windows is the only supported platform Home Edition is limited to personal use Team sharing and shared session files require Professional Edition
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 →	MobaXterm is a Windows desktop application for programmers, system administrators, developers and webmasters managing remote Unix/Linux and Windows systems. It brings a tabbed terminal, embedded Unix commands, an X server, remote desktop… 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

• MobaXterm — where it wins

  • Broad protocol coverage, including SSH, RDP, VNC, SFTP and Serial
  • Embedded X server, graphical SFTP and SSH tunnel management
  • Saved sessions, multi-execution and portable or installer versions

  Where it doesn't

  • Windows is the only supported platform
  • Home Edition is limited to personal use
  • Team sharing and shared session files require Professional Edition

• kitty9.0/10 · Open source

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

  Visit kittyFull verdict →
• MobaXterm8.6/10 · Free plan

  A broad Windows terminal suite with free personal use and paid team features.

  Visit MobaXtermFull verdict →