Software Alternatives & Startups

Ghostty VS Terminay

Compare Ghostty VS Terminay and see what are their differences

Ghostty

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

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
Terminay

Terminay is a desktop terminal workspace for projects and coding agents, with split panes, file tools, macros, recordings, and secure remote access.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source Free

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, Ghostty seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 34 times since March 2021.

social mentions
34 vs 0
Terminal Tools popularity
96% vs 4%
alternatives listed
168 vs 9

Base details

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

Ghostty
Terminay
Website ghostty.org terminay.com
Pricing
Open source
Open source Free
Platforms —
MacOS Linux
Listed in

About Ghostty and Terminay

In their own words, as submitted to SaaSHub.

Ghostty
Terminay

No description of Ghostty yet.

Terminay is a professional terminal workspace designed for developers who work with multiple projects, files, and AI coding agents. Key Features: - Split Panes: Organize your workspace with flexible horizontal and vertical splits for side-by-side terminal sessions - Project-Based Workspaces:...

Read more about Terminay

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

Ghostty 4 features
Terminay 3 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.
  • Split Panes
    Organize your workspace with flexible horizontal and vertical splits
  • Macros
    Record and replay command sequences to automate repetitive tasks
  • Agent Control
    Built-in MCP server for AI coding agents to control terminal sessions

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

Ghostty 3 videos + Add
Terminay 1 video + 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

Terminay Showcase

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
Terminay
96% 96%
4% 4%
0% 0%
100% 100%
96% 96%
4% 4%
100% 100%
SSH
0% 0%

Questions & Answers

As answered by people managing Ghostty and Terminay.

What's the story behind your product?

Terminay's answer:

Terminay was born from frustration with the gap between how developers actually work and what existing terminals offer.

The turning point came with the rise of AI coding agents. Tools like Claude Code need to run terminal commands, but existing terminals weren't built for this. They're either focused purely on speed and aesthetics, or they're feature-rich but closed-source with mandatory accounts and subscriptions.

Terminay started as a personal tool to solve three problems: 1. Project switching was painful - constantly reconfiguring terminal layouts when changing contexts 2. AI agents had no good way to interact with terminals securely 3. Repetitive command sequences needed automation without writing bash scripts

Rather than building another "fast terminal with nice fonts," the goal was to build a workspace that treats projects, files, AI agents, and automation as core features. Open source from day one, because developers deserve to own their tools.

Which are the primary technologies used for building your product?

Terminay's answer:

Terminay is built with:

  • Electron - Cross-platform desktop framework for macOS and Linux
  • TypeScript - Type-safe JavaScript for the entire codebase
  • Node.js - Runtime for the backend and MCP server
  • xterm.js - Terminal emulator component
  • node-pty - Pseudoterminal bindings for spawning shell processes

The MCP (Model Context Protocol) server is implemented natively, allowing AI coding agents to communicate with Terminay using Anthropic's open standard for tool use.

The codebase is fully open source under AGPL-3.0 and available on GitHub.

What makes your product unique?

Terminay's answer:

Terminay is the only terminal that combines a full workspace environment with native AI agent control. While other terminals focus on just being fast or pretty, Terminay is built for how developers actually work today:

  • Project-based workspaces that restore your terminal layout, files, and sessions when you switch contexts
  • Built-in MCP server that lets AI coding agents like Claude Code securely control terminal sessions
  • Macros and automation to record and replay command sequences
  • Integrated file browser so you never leave the terminal to manage files
  • Session recordings for documentation and debugging

It's open source (AGPL-3.0) and designed specifically for developers who juggle multiple projects and use AI tools in their workflow.

Why should a person choose your product over its competitors?

Terminay's answer:

Choose Terminay over competitors if you:

  • Work with AI coding agents - Terminay's built-in MCP server gives AI tools like Claude Code secure access to run commands. Other terminals don't have this.
  • Juggle multiple projects - Persistent workspaces remember your terminal layouts, open files, and sessions per project. Switch contexts without losing your setup.
  • Want automation without scripting - Record macros visually and replay them. No bash scripting required.
  • Value open source - Terminay is AGPL-3.0 licensed. No subscription fees, no vendor lock-in, full transparency.
  • Need remote access - Secure remote access to your terminal sessions without complex SSH tunneling.

Unlike Warp (closed source, requires account), iTerm2 (Mac-only, no AI integration), or Ghostty (focused on speed over features), Terminay is purpose-built for the modern developer workflow where projects, files, and AI assistants need to work together.

How would you describe the primary audience of your product?

Terminay's answer:

Terminay's primary audience is software developers who work across multiple projects and increasingly use AI coding assistants in their workflow.

Specifically: - Full-stack developers managing frontend, backend, and infrastructure in parallel - Developers using AI tools like Claude Code, GitHub Copilot CLI, or other AI coding agents - Freelancers and consultants switching between client projects frequently - DevOps engineers running commands across environments - Open source contributors who value transparency and no vendor lock-in

The common thread: developers who want their terminal to understand projects as first-class concepts, not just tabs, and who see AI as a collaborative tool in their workflow rather than a novelty.

User comments

Share your experience with using Ghostty and Terminay. 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 34 mentions
Terminay 0 mentions
  • Claude in the terminal: a non-opinionated setup
    I've found Ghostty to be the most flexible and snappy-fast terminal emulator -- and unless you are for-real-real iTerm2 poweruser, I HIGHLY recommend you to try it out. - Source: dev.to / 1 day ago
  • 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 / 6 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 / 9 days ago

View more

Tracking Terminay since Oct 2026.

Alternatives to Ghostty and Terminay

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