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iTerm2 VS ST - Simple Terminal

Compare iTerm2 VS ST - Simple Terminal and see what are their differences

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iTerm2 logo iTerm2

A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.

ST - Simple Terminal logo ST - Simple Terminal

st is a simple terminal implementation for X.
  • iTerm2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-29
  • ST - Simple Terminal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-28

iTerm2 features and specs

  • Versatility
    iTerm2 supports a wide range of features such as split panes, multiple tab management, and hotkey-activated terminal windows, making it highly versatile for different workflows.
  • Customization
    Offers extensive customization options, including themes, color schemes, and key bindings, allowing users to tailor the terminal to their preferences.
  • Advanced Features
    Includes advanced functionality like instant replay, which allows users to rewind their terminal session, and integration with automation tools like AppleScript.
  • Performance
    Designed to be efficient and responsive, ensuring it performs well even with multiple sessions and tabs open simultaneously.
  • Integrations
    Seamless integration with macOS features such as native notifications, fullscreen mode, and support for external editors.
  • Community Support
    Active community and comprehensive documentation, which can be very helpful for troubleshooting and learning advanced configurations.

Possible disadvantages of iTerm2

  • Mac-Only
    iTerm2 is exclusive to macOS, which means users on other operating systems cannot utilize its features.
  • Complexity
    The sheer number of features and customization options can be overwhelming for beginners, requiring a learning curve to utilize efficiently.
  • System Resource Usage
    iTerm2 may consume more system resources compared to simpler terminal emulators, which could be a concern on lower-end hardware.
  • Update Frequency
    Occasional updates can introduce bugs or unexpected behavior, requiring users to adjust settings or find workarounds.

ST - Simple Terminal features and specs

  • Lightweight
    ST is designed to be extremely lightweight, making it fast and responsive even on older machines.
  • Minimal Dependencies
    ST aims to minimize dependencies, which simplifies installation and reduces potential for conflicts with other software.
  • Customizability
    ST's source code is intended to be modified by users to fit their needs, allowing deep personalization and optimization.
  • Simplicity
    ST follows the Suckless philosophy of simplicity, providing essential features without unnecessary bloat.
  • Open Source
    ST is open source, allowing users to inspect, modify, and contribute to the development of the software.

Possible disadvantages of ST - Simple Terminal

  • Limited Features
    Due to its minimalist design, ST lacks some advanced features found in other terminals, which might be essential for certain users.
  • Manual Configuration
    ST requires users to modify its source code for configuration, which can be a barrier for those unfamiliar with programming.
  • Lack of Pre-built Binaries
    ST typically needs to be compiled from source, which can be inconvenient compared to using package managers with pre-built binaries.
  • Basic Look and Feel
    The focus on minimalism means ST does not provide out-of-the-box eye candy or extensive customization of appearance through simple configuration files.
  • Community Size
    ST has a smaller community compared to more popular terminals, potentially making it harder to find support or plugins for additional functionality.

Analysis of iTerm2

Overall verdict

  • iTerm2 is regarded as an excellent terminal emulator for macOS due to its robust feature set and usability, making it a top choice for power users.

Why this product is good

  • iTerm2 is often praised for its advanced features, customization options, and efficiency that enhance productivity for users who work with the command line frequently. It offers split panes, hotkey window, undo close, instant replay, and a highly configurable interface that caters to power users, making it a versatile tool for developers and system administrators.

Recommended for

  • Developers and programmers who need a highly customizable terminal.
  • System administrators who require powerful scripting and automation capabilities.
  • Users who frequently work with command-line interfaces and require multiple sessions handled efficiently.
  • Anyone seeking an enhanced, feature-rich alternative to the default macOS terminal.

iTerm2 videos

+ Add

Customizing iterm2 with ZSH and PowerLevel9k | Z shell Tutorial

ST - Simple Terminal videos

No ST - Simple Terminal videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to iTerm2 and ST - Simple Terminal)

iTerm2

ST - Simple Terminal

SSH
81 81%
SSH
19% 19
Developer Tools
100 100%
Developer Tools
0% 0
Development
0 0%
Development
100% 100
Server Management
89 89%
Server Management
11% 11

User comments

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Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare iTerm2 and ST - Simple Terminal

iTerm2 Reviews

  1. KateBlanc
    Useful

    I've had so many problems with terminal in my Mac.. thanks for this tool. It's like really useful

    👍 Pros:    Fast|Convenience|Fastest, safest, and cheapest
    👎 Cons:    None
MobaXterm for Mac: Best Alternatives to MobaXterm for Mac
You can choose a Hotkey and register it as a shortcut to open the iTerm2. When you are using other application, just press the Hotkey and it will bring iTerm (terminal) to the foreground of your screen. So the iTerm2 is the best alternative to MobaXterm for Mac which will be always available for you.
Source: www.macoszon.com
30 best PuTTY alternatives for SSH clients for 2020
The iTerm2 system is available for Macs. Specifically, the program can run on Mac OS 10.10 and higher. This interface shows different terminal sessions through a split screen method, allowing you to tile sessions side by side. To lessen confusion, the active panel shows in full resolution, while the others dimmed. You can set up keyboard shortcuts to navigate through the...
Source: www.comparitech.com

ST - Simple Terminal Reviews

The 10 Best Linux Terminal Emulators
The st or Simple Terminal emulator gives you precisely what you ask for. ” A simple terminal emulator to interact with your Linux distro.”
Source: www.fosslinux.com
Top 14 Terminal Emulators for Linux (With Extra Features or Amazing Looks)
Simple Terminal or popularly known as st is an alternative for users who dislike bloated terminal emulators like xterm or rxvt.
Source: itsfoss.com

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iTerm2 should be more popular than ST - Simple Terminal. It has been mentiond 113 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.

iTerm2 mentions (113)

  • Using iTerm2's new AI Chat features with Azure OpenAI
    For the longest time I've used iTerm2 as a replacement for Terminal. It's fast, it's native, it's not yet another lipstick-on-an-Electron-wrapper type of thing. Only Ghostty comes close to it, and even though it's faster and resizes better, it misses some of the features I've grown to depend on. - Source: dev.to / 8 days ago
  • Brains. Bugs. Dopamine. how to trick yourself into loving code again
    Fig / Warp / iTerm2 terminals that actually respect your eyes and sanity https://fig.io | https://warp.dev | https://iterm2.com. - Source: dev.to / 4 months ago
  • Must-have apps and services in 2024
    iTerm + fish. I wrote a post explaining my environment settings. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Unavoidable developer tools
    🍎 macOS: The default Terminal.app is widely used, but iTerm2 is often preferred for its rich feature set and customization options. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Ask HN: How can I experiment with LLMs with a old machine?
    Make yourself comfortable with https://blogs.oracle.com/database/post/freedom-to-build-announcing-oracle-cloud-free-tier-with-new-always-free-services-and-always-free-oracle-autonomous-database https://gist.github.com/rssnyder/51e3cfedd730e7dd5f4a816143b25dbd https://www.reddit.com/r/oraclecloud/ or any other offer. Deploy some minimal Linux on them, or use what's offered. Plus optionally, if you don't want to... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
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ST - Simple Terminal mentions (48)

  • Tabby – A Terminal for the Modern Age
    Last I personally used Alacritty was 3-4 years back on Linux w/ wayland got some weird rendering bugs, switched to st (https://st.suckless.org/) for a good while. When I got a Macbook last year, I did a "best terminal macos" search and evaluated multiple terminals; kitty, ghostty, iterm2 and wezterm. Settled on ghostty because it just felt faster for terminal refreshes when I use vite. Nothing too extreme. Iterm2... - Source: Hacker News / 17 days ago
  • Typing with Pleasure
    Whenever I switch to another dev's machine, usually running either jetbrains or vscode, I'm always astounded at how annoyed I find myself while typing on it due to the high latency on keystrokes. I'm blessed with ~subframe delay using [st](https://st.suckless.org/) and neovim, and now I don't know if I could ever go back to a "true" IDE for professional work. Just for kicks I've started work on my own text editor... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Preview images, videos, fonts, PDFs ... in Vifm.
    The terminal I am currently using is st but I have also tested this "Vifm" enhancement in kitty and alacritty. - Source: dev.to / 11 months ago
  • Ask HN: Which is the simplest terminal emulator able to run Vim?
    Perhaps st: https://st.suckless.org. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Autodafe: "freeing your freeing your project from the clammy grip of autotools."
    > you need to "edit your makefile". That isn't going to work for distributions Is it not? [st] requires exactly that. And distros seem to have no issues shipping it. [st] https://st.suckless.org/. - Source: Hacker News / over 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing iTerm2 and ST - Simple Terminal, you can also consider the following products

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

Kitty terminal - Super fast, GPU and OpenGL based terminal emulator with tiling support

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

Foot - Foot is a terminal emulator app for Wayland that offers you many simple and easy-to-use functions or features and allows you to conduct the operation through your keyboard as well as the mouse.

KiTTY - KiTTY is a fork from version 0.70 of PuTTY. It adds extra features to PuTTY.

xterm - You can download and use MobaXterm Home Edition for free.

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