iTerm2

Mac OS Terminal Replacement

5.0•3 reviews•

36 followers

Mac OS Terminal Replacement

5.0•3 reviews•

36 followers

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Terminals

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Command line tools

iTerm2 is a replacement for Terminal and the successor to iTerm. It works on Macs with macOS 10.14 or newer. iTerm2 brings the terminal into the modern age with features you never knew you always wanted.

The Best iTerm2 Alternatives

The best iTerm2 alternatives are Warp, Ghostty, Tabby, Shell Notebook, and Pluto Door.

Warp

4.8 ·

Choose Warp if...

✓you want AI help writing shell commands
✓you like block-based output for sharing
✓you need the same terminal across OSes

See details ↓

Ghostty

5.0 ·

Choose Ghostty if...

✓you want a lean, fast daily-driver terminal
✓you prefer great defaults with minimal setup
✓you like deep config without extra clutter

See details ↓

Tabby

5.0 ·

Choose Tabby if...

✓you work across Windows, macOS, and Linux
✓you need WSL, PowerShell, and SSH together
✓you want a customizable all-in-one terminal hub

See details ↓

Shell Notebook

Choose Shell Notebook if...

✓you want rerunnable, cell-based command runbooks
✓you document workflows alongside executed output
✓you prefer Shift+Enter execution over scrollback

See details ↓

Pluto Door

Choose Pluto Door if...

✓you want a local-first macOS SSH workflow
✓you need file browser and editor around SSH
✓you avoid accounts and cloud sync by default

See details ↓

What to Consider

iTerm2 remains the default pick for many macOS developers thanks to its mature terminal emulation, tabs/panes, and deep customization. But today’s alternatives split into distinct philosophies: Warp pushes a block-based, AI-assisted “terminal as a workflow environment,” Ghostty focuses on a lean, performance-first daily driver with tasteful defaults, and Tabby targets true cross-platform teams that live across Windows (WSL/PowerShell) and SSH. Beyond classic terminal emulators, tools like Shell Notebook reimagine the experience as rerunnable, notebook-style cells, while Pluto Door narrows in on an all-in-one, local-first SSH workflow (terminal plus surrounding remote-management UI).

In comparing iTerm2 alternatives, we weighed core terminal fidelity and performance alongside ergonomics (history, copy/paste, keybindings), workflow features (presets, shareable output), and how well each option fits multi-OS setups. We also considered practical tradeoffs like account/login requirements, privacy posture and local-first vs cloud sync, compatibility with TTY-heavy CLI apps, and integration expectations (especially around SSH and editor/IDE workflows).

Warp

The open-source ADE

4.8 · 71 reviews

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Warp is built for people who want the terminal to behave more like a modern development environment than a raw emulator. Instead of treating everything as an endless scrollback buffer, it organizes work into command “blocks,” making it easier to copy the right output, annotate what happened, and share clean snippets without extra cleanup.

Its biggest differentiator versus iTerm2 is how much it helps you operate in the terminal, not just display it. Built-in AI can translate natural language into shell commands, help remember flags, and assist with troubleshooting when commands fail, which is especially valuable in complex DevOps workflows where precision matters.

Warp also leans into productivity features like reusable workflows and presets, plus richer history navigation that makes it easier to revisit and rerun prior work. For teams or individuals working across macOS, Linux, and Windows, cross-platform consistency can be a deciding factor where iTerm2 simply isn’t an option.

The trade-offs are that Warp’s opinionated UX won’t suit everyone, and some users prioritize a traditional terminal feel and maximum compatibility over an AI-first experience. If the goal is to reduce command hunting and make terminal work more guided and repeatable, Warp is the most divergent alternative in this set.

Best for

Best for developers and DevOps teams who want AI-assisted terminal workflows and shareable, repeatable command runs across multiple operating systems.

Standout features

✓Block-based command and output layout
✓AI command generation and troubleshooting help
✓Reusable workflows and command presets
✓Richer, structured command history navigation
✓Cross-platform terminal experience

Ghostty

A fast, feature-rich, and cross-platform terminal emulator

5.0 · 6 reviews

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Speed and simplicity are the core reasons Ghostty stands out as an iTerm2 alternative. It focuses on being a lean, responsive daily driver that gets out of the way, while still delivering the polish and readability people want from a modern terminal.

Where iTerm2 can feel like a feature-dense toolbox, Ghostty’s appeal is tasteful defaults and a clean UI that requires less initial tweaking. The overall experience emphasizes fast rendering and an efficient feel during routine tasks like editing, running builds, and juggling multiple sessions.

For power users, Ghostty still leaves plenty of headroom through deep configuration, letting the terminal adapt to personal preferences without forcing a heavy UI layer. It’s also attractive for developers who switch between macOS and Linux and want one consistent terminal choice rather than separate setups.

If AI guidance, workflow templates, or “terminal as a platform” features are priorities, other options may fit better. But for a focused, performance-first alternative to iTerm2, Ghostty is a compelling pick.

Best for

Ideal for developers who want a fast, clean terminal with strong defaults and deep configuration options across macOS and Linux.

Standout features

✓Performance-first, lean rendering
✓Clean UI with strong defaults
✓Highly configurable behavior and appearance
✓Great typography and theme aesthetics
✓Cross-platform macOS and Linux usage

Tabby

A terminal for a more modern age

5.0 · 1 review

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Tabby is a pragmatic alternative to iTerm2 when the environment isn’t exclusively macOS. It’s built to be a single terminal app that works well across Windows, macOS, and Linux, which matters for teams that move between machines or maintain mixed-OS stacks.

The biggest advantage over iTerm2 is its Windows-first breadth: it can act as a hub for WSL, PowerShell, classic shells, and SSH in one place. That “one app” approach reduces context switching for developers and IT pros who routinely jump from local Windows work to remote Linux servers.

Tabby also puts emphasis on customization so people can tune profiles, appearance, and workflows to match how they operate day to day. For many setups, it becomes a dependable front door to both local shells and remote sessions without needing a separate SSH client.

If macOS-only polish and the deepest iTerm2-specific feature set are the priority, iTerm2 still excels. But when cross-platform consistency and Windows ecosystem support are non-negotiable, Tabby is a strong replacement candidate.

Best for

Best for developers and IT professionals who need one customizable terminal for Windows shells, WSL, and SSH across multiple operating systems.

Standout features

✓Windows, macOS, and Linux support
✓WSL, PowerShell, and CMD profiles
✓Built-in SSH session management
✓Customizable profiles and appearance
✓All-in-one terminal hub approach

Shell Notebook

MacOS Terminal, reimagined

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Shell Notebook takes a different approach than iTerm2 by treating command-line work like a notebook rather than a scrolling terminal. Instead of losing context in long sessions, commands can be organized into discrete, rerunnable cells that keep workflows readable and repeatable.

That model is especially useful for runbooks, onboarding docs, and operational procedures where the goal is to execute steps in order and preserve what happened. A quick Shift+Enter execution flow reinforces the “document and run” rhythm that typical terminal emulators don’t optimize for.

Compared with iTerm2’s power-user terminal paradigm, Shell Notebook emphasizes structure and clarity over raw flexibility. It helps turn ad-hoc terminal sessions into artifacts that can be revisited later, reducing the need to copy commands into separate documentation tools.

If the priority is heavy multiplexing, advanced terminal customization, or traditional terminal muscle memory, iTerm2 may still be preferable. But for reproducible, cell-based workflows that double as documentation, Shell Notebook is a distinctive alternative.

Best for

Best for macOS users who want notebook-style, documented, rerunnable command workflows instead of traditional scrollback sessions.

Standout features

✓Cell-based command execution model
✓Shift+Enter to run commands quickly
✓Runbooks and repeatable workflows
✓Output captured alongside commands
✓Notebook-style organization for terminal tasks

Pluto Door

Secure MacOS SSH with AI editor, file browser, drag-drop

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Pluto Door is less about replacing iTerm2 as a general terminal and more about upgrading the SSH workflow into a dedicated macOS app. It bundles the pieces people typically stitch together for remote work—terminal access plus surrounding tools like file browsing and editing—into one focused interface.

A key differentiator versus many modern terminals is its local-first posture. Rather than requiring accounts or relying on cloud sync, it’s designed so workflows and data live on the Mac, which can be a better fit for security-conscious environments and users who want tighter control.

For DevOps and server-heavy work, the all-in-one framing can reduce tool switching when inspecting files, making changes, and validating results over SSH. This makes Pluto Door feel closer to a remote management cockpit than a traditional emulator like iTerm2.

The main trade-off is that it’s intentionally specialized and may not match iTerm2’s flexibility for managing many concurrent local and remote sessions. When the priority is a privacy-forward, single-app SSH experience on macOS, Pluto Door stands out.