Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

ConEmu VS MacWise

Compare ConEmu VS MacWise and see what are their differences

ConEmu logo ConEmu

ConEmu-Maximus5 is a full-featured local terminal for Windows devs, admins and users. Get better console window with tabs, splits, Quake style, copy+paste, DosBox and PuTTY integration, and much more.

MacWise logo MacWise

Terminal Emulation for Mac. 64-Bit Universal Versionfor Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Compatible with Monterey, Big Sur and backwards compatible to Sierra
  • ConEmu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22
  • MacWise Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-29

ConEmu features and specs

  • Customizability
    ConEmu offers a high degree of customizability, allowing users to tailor the interface, keyboard shortcuts, colors, and behavior to suit their workflow.
  • Tab Management
    The application supports multiple tabs, permitting users to manage various command-line sessions within a single window, enhancing multitasking capabilities.
  • Integrations
    ConEmu can integrate with various shells such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, Git Bash, Cygwin, and more, thus making it a versatile tool for a wide range of needs.
  • Quake-style Mode
    This feature allows users to quickly summon and hide the terminal with a specific key combination, similar to the drop-down console in Quake games.
  • Split View
    ConEmu offers split-view functionality, which allows users to see and interact with multiple terminal panes simultaneously.
  • Portable Mode
    The application can be used in portable mode, enabling users to carry their ConEmu settings and preferences across different machines without installation.

Possible disadvantages of ConEmu

  • Complex Setup
    For new users, the initial configuration can be somewhat complex and may require a steep learning curve to leverage all features effectively.
  • Windows Only
    ConEmu is exclusive to the Windows operating system, limiting its usage for individuals who work across multiple OS platforms.
  • Resource Intensive
    Compared to some lightweight terminal emulators, ConEmu can be more demanding on system resources, which may be a concern for users on lower-end hardware.
  • Occasional Stability Issues
    Some users have reported occasional crashes or instability, particularly when dealing with complex configurations or extensive usage.
  • Lack of Built-in SSH
    Unlike some terminal emulators, ConEmu does not come with built-in SSH capabilities, necessitating the use of third-party tools for SSH sessions.

MacWise features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    MacWise features an intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to interact with legacy systems using a modern and accessible terminal emulator.
  • Compatibility
    Supports a variety of emulations such as Wyse, ADDS Viewpoint, and ANSI, allowing users to work seamlessly with different systems.
  • Customization Options
    Offers robust customization options, including keyboard mappings and screen colors, enabling users to tailor the environment to their preferences.
  • Clipboard Support
    Allows easy copying and pasting between MacWise and other applications, improving workflow productivity.
  • Integration Capabilities
    Can integrate and communicate with Mac applications, enhancing its functionality in a multi-application environment.

Possible disadvantages of MacWise

  • Limited Platform
    Exclusive to macOS, which may restrict its utility for users who operate within or need to switch between different OS ecosystems.
  • Cost of Ownership
    Users must purchase a license, which might not be cost-effective for those seeking a free or lower-cost terminal emulation solution.
  • Learning Curve
    Despite its user-friendly interface, new users may face a minor learning curve, particularly if they are unfamiliar with terminal emulation concepts.
  • Support and Updates
    Reliance on timely updates and support from the developers could be a concern if these are not consistently available.
  • Feature Set Limitations
    Might not include some advanced features available in other high-end terminal emulators, potentially limiting use for certain technical tasks.

Analysis of ConEmu

Overall verdict

  • Yes, ConEmu is a good option for users seeking a powerful and customizable terminal emulator on Windows. Its feature-rich environment and active development community make it a solid choice.

Why this product is good

  • ConEmu is considered a good terminal emulator because it offers a wide range of features including extensive customization options, support for multiple tabs, and compatibility with various shells such as PowerShell, Command Prompt, and WSL. It enhances productivity by allowing users to configure hotkeys, split the terminal window, and create complex workflows, making it a versatile tool for developers and system administrators.

Recommended for

    ConEmu is recommended for developers, system administrators, and power users who need a flexible and feature-rich terminal emulator. It's particularly useful for users who frequently work with multiple command-line tools or need advanced window management capabilities.

Analysis of MacWise

Overall verdict

  • MacWise is a niche legacy terminal emulation product by Carnation Software that can be a good fit if you specifically need Mac-based access to Wyse, ADDS, or similar terminal sessions, but it's not a mainstream or actively hyped product so due diligence is recommended before purchase.

Why this product is good

  • Provides specialized terminal emulation (e.g., Wyse, ADDS) for Mac systems that few other products support
  • Long-standing product from a company focused on legacy terminal emulation software
  • Can help bridge older host/mainframe or terminal-based systems with modern Mac hardware
  • Simple, targeted feature set aimed at a specific technical need rather than bloated general-purpose software

Recommended for

  • Businesses or IT departments needing to connect Mac computers to legacy Wyse or ADDS terminal-based systems
  • Organizations maintaining older mainframe or minicomputer host connections
  • IT professionals requiring niche terminal emulation not covered by mainstream terminal software
  • Companies transitioning legacy systems who still need interim Mac compatibility

ConEmu videos

Development Tools: ConEmu

MacWise videos

No MacWise videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ConEmu and MacWise)
SSH
97 97%
3% 3
Server Management
97 97%
3% 3
Terminal Tools
91 91%
9% 9
Server Configuration And Automation

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare ConEmu and MacWise

ConEmu Reviews

7 Best Free Terminal Emulators For Windows 10/11 in 2022
It is free and open-source software that is built on the popular console emulator known as ConEmu. It is used to add enhancements from clink that provide bash style completion. Moreover, it also presents UNIX capabilities by extending them with PowerShell, MinnTTY, myysgit and Cygwin.
30 best PuTTY alternatives for SSH clients for 2020
Cmder is a straight-forward terminal emulator for Windows. The program runs on Windows and it is a combination of the ConEmu terminal emulation program with a Unix-like scripting language that works on Windows. The terminal emulator doesnโ€™t have any encryption, so it would only be suitable for connections on private networks. The tool also lacks a file transfer system.

MacWise Reviews

MobaXterm for Mac: Best Alternatives to MobaXterm for Mac
MacWise allows a Macintosh to be used as a terminal connected to a host computer directly. It requires a modem to connect to local area network or over the internet with Telnet or SSH Secure Shell. MacWise remembers the last 40 pages that appear on your Mac screen.

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ConEmu seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 19 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ConEmu mentions (19)

  • Dos Navigator โ€“ an orthodox file manager
    The sources for the awesome Dos Navigator are published on Github. An updated fork named Necromancer's Dos Navigator [NDN] can be found here: http://ndn.muxe.com/ An alternative to DN/NDN, that is in active development, is Far Manager: https://www.farmanager.com/ All of them, especially Far, work well in ConEmu (https://conemu.github.io/) or cmder (https://cmder.app/) Maybe interested people or nostalgic ones can... - Source: Hacker News / almost 2 years ago
  • Any user with Win 7 user + Vim at terminal+airline_with_Powerline_symbols?
    On Windows 7 your best bet is to install a modern terminal emulator like ConEmu: https://conemu.github.io/. Source: about 3 years ago
  • The amount of times I have accidentally done this...
    On my work system I have local admin but Windows Store is blocked by policy. One of my coworkers over on the DBA team had me install ConEmu which has some nice features similar to to Windows Terminal. Also, Posh-Git is a nice addition to have on top. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Name the tools you can't live without!
    Conemu if your a fan of that quake style terminal and tabbed terminals. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Steps of entering the IT world? Learn Python Or Operating systems first?
    If you do, try out this thing; https://conemu.github.io/. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

MacWise mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of MacWise yet. Tracking of MacWise recommendations started around Aug 2022.

What are some alternatives?

When comparing ConEmu and MacWise, you can also consider the following products

MobaXterm - Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more

PuTTY - Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.

Hyper - Extensible, cross-platform terminal built on open web standards.

GNOME Terminal - GNOME Terminal is a terminal emulator for GNOME desktop.

Gnome Terminator - Terminator is one of the most useful and dynamic terminal emulators for Unix based operating systems.

Royal TS - Royal TS provides easy and secure access to your remote systems