Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

HTerm VS RealTerm

Compare HTerm VS RealTerm and see what are their differences

HTerm logo HTerm

HTerm is a terminal emulator for serial communication.

RealTerm logo RealTerm

RealTerm is a terminal program specially designed for capturing, controlling and debugging binary...
  • HTerm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-07-27
  • RealTerm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-02-24

HTerm features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    HTerm has a simple and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and operate, even for those who are not highly experienced in terminal applications.
  • Lightweight
    HTerm is designed to be a lightweight application that doesn’t consume a lot of system resources, making it a good choice for older computers or limited-resource environments.
  • Cross-Platform Compatibility
    HTerm is compatible with multiple operating systems such as Windows and Linux, which allows for flexibility in various environments.
  • Versatility
    It supports a range of protocols and configurations, making it versatile enough to handle different types of serial communication tasks.
  • Free to Use
    HTerm is a freeware tool, making it an accessible option for users who need a terminal application without incurring any cost.

Possible disadvantages of HTerm

  • Limited Advanced Features
    While HTerm is great for basic uses, it lacks some of the more advanced features found in other terminal applications, which can be a limitation for power users.
  • Basic User Support
    The available documentation and support for HTerm might not be as comprehensive as that of other more popular terminal applications, making it potentially challenging for troubleshooting.
  • Older Interface Design
    The graphical user interface of HTerm might appear outdated or less modern compared to newer terminal applications, which might affect user experience preferences.
  • Occasional Compatibility Issues
    Though relatively stable, some users might experience occasional compatibility or stability issues depending on their specific system configurations.
  • Limited Logging and Analysis Features
    HTerm does not offer extensive logging and analysis tools, which can be a drawback for users needing detailed data monitoring and diagnostics.

RealTerm features and specs

  • Versatility
    RealTerm supports multiple communication protocols such as RS232, RS485, and USB, making it highly versatile for various serial communication projects.
  • Hexadecimal Display
    It allows users to display data in hexadecimal format, which is useful for debugging binary protocols and interpreting non-text data.
  • Scriptable and Automatable
    RealTerm can be controlled via scripting languages like Python, making it suitable for automated testing and repetitive tasks.
  • Advanced Terminal Features
    Features like capturing data to files, controlling modem lines, and manipulating baud rates provide advanced capabilities for power users.
  • Free and Open Source
    RealTerm is a free tool available under the GPL license, making it accessible to hobbyists and professionals without any cost.

Possible disadvantages of RealTerm

  • User Interface
    The user interface is considered outdated and can be overwhelming for new users, making the learning curve steep.
  • Windows Only
    RealTerm is only available for Windows, limiting its usability for users on other operating systems like Linux or macOS.
  • Limited Documentation
    The documentation is not very comprehensive, which can make troubleshooting and learning to use advanced features difficult.
  • Performance Issues
    RealTerm can sometimes exhibit performance issues such as lag or crashes, especially when handling large amounts of data.
  • No Active Development
    The project is not actively maintained, which means users may encounter bugs or security vulnerabilities that will not be fixed in future updates.

Analysis of RealTerm

Overall verdict

  • RealTerm is considered a reliable and effective terminal program, especially for tasks that require detailed control over serial communications. While its interface might be somewhat complex for new users, its robust feature set is highly appreciated by those familiar with debugging and data analysis tasks.

Why this product is good

  • RealTerm is a high-performance terminal program designed for capturing, controlling, and debugging binary and other difficult data streams. Its features include support for various communication protocols, customizable display options, and powerful logging capabilities. These features make it particularly useful for developers and engineers working on embedded systems or needing to interact with hardware devices directly.

Recommended for

  • Electrical engineers working with serial communication interfaces
  • Developers needing to debug embedded systems
  • Professionals dealing with hardware device testing
  • Users requiring custom baud rates and communication settings

HTerm videos

Communication with PLC/SPS and HTerm on Windows 10 via RS485

RealTerm videos

Test TCP-IP to Serial ( ESP8266 - Realterm ) Arduino IDE : PDAControl

More videos:

  • Review - realterm frp bypass

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to HTerm and RealTerm)
SSH
36 36%
64% 64
Server Management
35 35%
65% 65
Server Configuration And Automation
Communication
41 41%
59% 59

User comments

Share your experience with using HTerm and RealTerm. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, RealTerm seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 2 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.

HTerm mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of HTerm yet. Tracking of HTerm recommendations started around Mar 2021.

RealTerm mentions (2)

  • Identifying UART / Serial access
    Putty and Screen are are garbage for working with serial, especially when you don't know the specification. Use RealTerm https://realterm.sourceforge.io/. Source: about 2 years ago
  • How do graph output from a serial port when I don't know exactly what signal its sending?
    This is not really Labview stuff, but there's a nice little terminal program called Realterm I've been using whenever I need to decrypt unknown serial stuff. It's really nuts and bolts sort of a software and you can easily turn the message into binary or hexadecimal and flip all the control bits and all that neat stuff. Source: over 3 years ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing HTerm and RealTerm, you can also consider the following products

Tera Term - Tera Term (Pro) is a free software terminal emulator (communication program) for MS-Windows.

GtkTerm - Gtkterm is a simple GTK+ terminal used to communicate with a serial port.

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

CuteCom - Features: easy to use GUI no cryptic keyboard shortcuts

YAT - Yet Another Terminal - Engineering, testing and debugging of serial communication.

HyperTerminal - HyperTerminal is a terminal emulator capable of connecting to systems through TCP/IP Networks...