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Head-to-head · Terminal Emulators

Windows Terminal vs Contour

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 6 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
Contour #24 in Terminal Emulators 7.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 5 of 5 features Visit Contour

Windows Terminal leads on 0 checks, Contour on 0, and 6 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 6 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 featuresContour · 5 of 5

Windows Terminal scores higher on our rubric for terminal emulators: 9.3 against 7.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #2 and #24.

Windows Terminal is the better fit for windows users with multiple shell environments. Contour is the better fit for users needing persistent sessions across platforms.

  • Windows Terminal fits best

    Windows users with multiple shell environments

  • Contour fits best

    Users needing persistent sessions across platforms

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Side by side

Feature Windows Terminal 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Contour 7.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 7.1
Ranking #2 in Terminal Emulators #24 in Terminal Emulators
Best for Windows users with multiple shell environments Users needing persistent sessions across platforms
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 1 integrations
Features Windows Terminal 4/5 · Contour 5/5
Split panes ✓ ✓
Session sync Not checked yet ✓ (best)
GPU acceleration ✓ ✓
Scripting API ✓ ✓
SSH support ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms Windows Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Windows
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
  • Persistent sessions can reattach locally or over an encrypted network connection
  • GPU rendering, tabs, split panes, and configurable terminal profiles
  • Broad Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD support with SSH and tmux interoperability
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
  • Daemon mode, central to persistent sessions, is experimental
  • Powerful configuration and command-line controls favor experienced users
  • Focused on terminal workflows rather than a broader remote-development suite
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 →

Contour is an open-source terminal emulator for developers and other power users. It combines GPU-accelerated rendering with tabs, split panes, configurable profiles, Unicode support, image protocols, vi-like input modes, runtime…

Read the review →
  1. Windows TerminalTerminal Emulators 9.3Free plan
  2. ContourTerminal Emulators 7.1Free 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

  • Contour — where it wins

    • Persistent sessions can reattach locally or over an encrypted network connection
    • GPU rendering, tabs, split panes, and configurable terminal profiles
    • Broad Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD support with SSH and tmux interoperability

    Where it doesn't

    • Daemon mode, central to persistent sessions, is experimental
    • Powerful configuration and command-line controls favor experienced users
    • Focused on terminal workflows rather than a broader remote-development suite

More comparisons

All terminal emulators comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update