Zellij vs p2pmux

Zellij9.4Visit p2pmux8.6Visit

Higher score Zellij #1 in Terminal Multiplexers 9.4/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 4 of 4 features Visit Zellij

vs

p2pmux #7 in Terminal Multiplexers 8.6/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 3 of 4 features Visit p2pmux

• Zellij fits best

  Feature-rich cross-platform terminal multiplexing

• p2pmux fits best

  Encrypted peer-to-peer collaboration

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Side by side

Feature	Zellij 9.4/10 Visit ↗	p2pmux 8.6/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score	9.4	8.6
Ranking	#1 in Terminal Multiplexers	#7 in Terminal Multiplexers
Best for	Feature-rich cross-platform terminal multiplexing	Encrypted peer-to-peer collaboration
Pricing model	Free	Free
Starting price	Free plan	Free plan
Free plan	✓	✓
Free trial	—	—
Deployment	Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Platforms	Web, Windows, macOS, Linux	macOS, Linux
Support	Docs	Docs, Community
Built for	Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise	Solo, Small business
Features Zellij 4/4 · p2pmux 3/4
Session synchronization	✓	✓
Collaboration features	✓	✓
Custom pane layouts	✓	✓
Plugins or extensions	✓ (best)	Not checked yet
Specs
Persistence scope	Local	Local
Access platforms	Linux, macOS, Windows terminals; browser web client	macOS and Linux command-line terminals
Maximum sessions	Not checked yet	Not checked yet
Our review
Pros	Runs across Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web Combines panes, tabs, layouts, floating, and stacked panes Adds plugins, session resurrection, and collaborative sharing	Real PTY panes run on the machines that host them End-to-end encryption with direct or relayed connectivity Reconnect pairing and session failover support collaboration continuity
Cons	Session resurrection is local rather than a hosted persistence layer Browser access requires an optional self-hosted web client Does not include AI features	Limited to macOS and Linux command-line terminals Local persistence keeps session state on participating machines Early-stage project may suit builders more than conservative teams
Our verdict	Zellij is a free, open-source terminal workspace for developers, operations-focused users, and people who work primarily in terminals. Its core multiplexing features include panes, tabs, floating and stacked panes, configurable keybindings… Read the review →	p2pmux is a free, open-source terminal multiplexer for macOS and Linux. It is designed for multiple users and machines that need to join shared terminal sessions while keeping each pane tied to a real shell on the machine hosting it. Users… Read the review →

Strengths and trade-offs

• Zellij — where it wins

  • Runs across Linux, macOS, Windows, and the web
  • Combines panes, tabs, layouts, floating, and stacked panes
  • Adds plugins, session resurrection, and collaborative sharing

  Where it doesn't

  • Session resurrection is local rather than a hosted persistence layer
  • Browser access requires an optional self-hosted web client
  • Does not include AI features

• p2pmux — where it wins

  • Real PTY panes run on the machines that host them
  • End-to-end encryption with direct or relayed connectivity
  • Reconnect pairing and session failover support collaboration continuity

  Where it doesn't

  • Limited to macOS and Linux command-line terminals
  • Local persistence keeps session state on participating machines
  • Early-stage project may suit builders more than conservative teams

• Zellij9.4/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source multiplexer with layouts, plugins, persistence, and collaboration.

  Visit ZellijFull verdict →
• p2pmux8.6/10 · Free plan

  A free, open-source multiplexer for encrypted collaborative terminal sessions.

  Visit p2pmuxFull verdict →