Software Alternatives & Startups

Ghostty VS IceWM

Compare Ghostty VS IceWM and see what are their differences

Ghostty

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

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
IceWM

icewm home page . Bug Tracking. If you have a patch, a bug report or a feature request to submit, please do so at the icewm project page at SourceForge.

Rating
0 reviews
Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Ghostty seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 33 times since March 2021.

social mentions
33 vs 0
Terminal Tools popularity
100% vs 0%
alternatives listed
165 vs 66

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

Ghostty
IceWM
Website ghostty.org icewm.org
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Ghostty 4 features
IceWM 6 features
  • Easy-to-Use Interface
    Ghostty offers a user-friendly interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for users of all experience levels.
  • Enhanced Privacy
    The platform emphasizes user privacy, ensuring that personal data is kept secure and not shared without consent.
  • Multiple Platforms Supported
    Ghostty supports a wide range of platforms, allowing users to connect and share content across different networks seamlessly.
  • Customizable Features
    Users have the option to customize settings and features, enabling them to tailor their experience to their specific needs.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Free Version
    The free version of Ghostty offers limited features, which may restrict functionality for users not willing to upgrade to a paid plan.
  • Occasional Downtime
    Some users have reported occasional downtime or connectivity issues, which can disrupt the user experience.
  • Learning Curve for Advanced Features
    While the basic interface is easy to use, some advanced features require a learning curve and may be more complex for new users.
  • Subscription Cost
    Users may find the subscription cost for premium features to be relatively high compared to similar services.
  • Lightweight
    IceWM is designed to be fast and frugal with system resources, making it ideal for older hardware or systems with limited RAM and processing power.
  • Customizable
    Users can easily customize the look and feel of IceWM using themes and configurations without needing advanced technical knowledge.
  • Simple and Intuitive
    The window manager offers a straightforward, no-frills interface that is easy to navigate, making it accessible for new users.
  • Stable and Reliable
    IceWM is known for its robustness and stability, reducing the likelihood of crashes and bugs compared to more complex window managers.
  • Efficient with X Resources
    IceWM is very efficient in how it utilizes X resources, contributing to its overall speed and responsiveness.
  • Integrated Taskbar
    The built-in taskbar includes features like a system tray, app launcher, and workspace switcher, providing essential functionality without additional software.

Possible disadvantages

  • Limited Advanced Features
    IceWM might lack some of the advanced features and eye-candy that are available in more modern or feature-rich window managers and desktop environments.
  • Basic Default Appearance
    Out of the box, IceWM may appear somewhat basic or outdated, requiring user customization to enhance its aesthetics.
  • Manual Editing for Customization
    While IceWM is customizable, it often requires manual editing of text files for configuration, which might be cumbersome for some users.
  • Limited Community and Support
    Compared to more popular desktop environments like GNOME or KDE, IceWM has a smaller user community, which may lead to fewer resources and less community support.
  • Minimalist Approach
    The minimalist approach, while beneficial for resource usage, might not cater to users looking for a fully integrated and richly featured desktop environment.

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Ghostty 3 videos + Add
IceWM 3 videos + Add

Ghostty is Probably The Best Terminal Emulator I've Ever Used

More videos

  • - so i tried ghostty...
  • - Ghostty is a Fast and Feature-Rich Terminal

Obscure Window Manager Project - IceWM

More videos

  • - IceWM Tutorial - The fastest Linux window manager
  • - antiX 19 beta 3 IceWM Demo Features Review II

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
Ghostty
IceWM
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%
100% 100%
0% 0%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using Ghostty and IceWM. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

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Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

Ghostty 33 mentions
IceWM 0 mentions
  • Native edges: principles for native apps with a shared core
    Ghostty, the terminal emulator by Mitchell Hashimoto, is one of my favorite examples of this split. Its core, libghostty, is written in Zig, exposes a C API, and handles terminal emulation, fonts, and rendering. On top of it sit a macOS... - Source: dev.to / 4 days ago
  • I don't code alone: I lead a team of agents
    Almost everything happens in a terminal, so the terminal matters. I use Ghostty because it's fast and feels native on macOS, which is exactly what you want from the tool you keep open all day. - Source: dev.to / 7 days ago
  • I built a tmux sidebar that tells me which Claude Code session needs me
    You need tmux 3.3+, jq, git, python3 and a logged-in Claude Code. Ghostty is recommended, but any terminal works if you start tmux yourself. - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago

View more

Tracking IceWM since Mar 2021.

Alternatives to Ghostty and IceWM

When comparing Ghostty and IceWM, you can also consider the following products.