Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

Head-to-head · Terminal Emulators

Windows Terminal vs Alacritty

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 5 checks side by side
Higher score Windows Terminal #2 in Terminal Emulators 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 5 features Visit Microsoft
Alacritty #8 in Terminal Emulators 8.5/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 5 features Visit Alacritty

Windows Terminal leads on 1 check, Alacritty on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 5 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreWindows Terminal · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth
  • Most featuresWindows Terminal · 4 of 5

Windows Terminal scores higher on our rubric for terminal emulators: 9.3 against 8.5 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #8.

Windows Terminal offers split panes; Alacritty doesn't.

Windows Terminal is the better fit for windows users with multiple shell environments. Alacritty is the better fit for minimalist cross-platform users prioritizing fast rendering.

  • Windows Terminal fits best

    Windows users with multiple shell environments

  • Alacritty fits best

    Minimalist cross-platform users prioritizing fast rendering

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 Windows Terminal 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Alacritty 8.5/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.5
Ranking #2 in Terminal Emulators #8 in Terminal Emulators
Best for Windows users with multiple shell environments Minimalist cross-platform users prioritizing fast rendering
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Free plan Free plan
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Desktop Desktop
Platforms Windows Linux, macOS, Windows
Integrations 6 integrations 2 integrations
Features Windows Terminal 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 Windows Linux, macOS, Windows, BSD
Our review
Pros
  • Hosts PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, Git Bash, and Azure Cloud Shell
  • Tabs, split panes, profiles, themes, shortcuts, and customizable backgrounds
  • GPU-accelerated rendering, SSH profiles, and wt.exe command-line automation
  • 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
  • Runs on Windows rather than across multiple operating systems
  • Its value depends on working primarily with command-line tools
  • Profile and layout customization may require workflow configuration
  • 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

Windows Terminal is Microsoft’s open-source terminal application for running command-line shells and applications on Windows. It is aimed at users who move between PowerShell, Command Prompt, Windows Subsystem for Linux distributions,…

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 →
  1. Windows TerminalTerminal Emulators 9.3Free plan
  2. AlacrittyTerminal Emulators 8.5Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Windows Terminal — where it wins

    • Hosts PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, Git Bash, and Azure Cloud Shell
    • Tabs, split panes, profiles, themes, shortcuts, and customizable backgrounds
    • GPU-accelerated rendering, SSH profiles, and wt.exe command-line automation

    Where it doesn't

    • Runs on Windows rather than across multiple operating systems
    • Its value depends on working primarily with command-line tools
    • Profile and layout customization may require workflow configuration

  • 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

More comparisons

All terminal emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update