Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

minicom VS iTerm2

Compare minicom VS iTerm2 and see what are their differences

minicom logo minicom

Minicom is a menu driven communications program. It emulates ANSI and VT102 terminals.

iTerm2 logo iTerm2

A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.
  • minicom Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-06-18
  • iTerm2 Landing page
    Landing page //
    2018-10-29

minicom features and specs

  • Lightweight
    Minicom is a lightweight terminal emulation program that requires minimal system resources, making it suitable for older or resource-constrained systems.
  • Widely Used
    It is a widely used and trusted application among system administrators and developers for serial communication, offering familiarity and a wide base of community support.
  • Simple Interface
    Minicom provides a simple, text-based interface that allows for easy configuration and use, making it accessible even to those with minimal experience.
  • Included in Debian Repositories
    Being available in the Debian repositories ensures straightforward installation and integration within Debian-based systems.

Possible disadvantages of minicom

  • Limited Features
    Compared to more modern terminal emulation tools, Minicom has fewer features and might lack some advanced functionalities needed for complex tasks.
  • Text-Based Interface
    The absence of a graphical user interface (GUI) can be a drawback for users who prefer a more intuitive point-and-click interaction.
  • Steeper Learning Curve
    While simple, its text-based interface can present a steeper learning curve for users not familiar with command-line tools.
  • Less Active Development
    Minicom may not receive frequent updates or new features, as it is an older tool with a slower development cycle compared to newer solutions.

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.

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.

minicom videos

1984 Ultratec Minicom II TTY/TDD review & test

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  • Review - my lego transformer review-minicom sideways

iTerm2 videos

Customizing iterm2 with ZSH and PowerLevel9k | Z shell Tutorial

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to minicom and iTerm2)
SSH
15 15%
85% 85
Server Management
18 18%
82% 82
Server Configuration And Automation
Developer Tools
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

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Reviews

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

minicom Reviews

We have no reviews of minicom yet.
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iTerm2 Reviews

  1. Useful

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

    ๐Ÿ‘ Pros:    Fast|Convenience|Fastest, safest, and cheapest
    ๐Ÿ‘Ž 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.
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...

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, iTerm2 seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 111 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.

minicom mentions (0)

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

iTerm2 mentions (111)

  • Must-have apps and services in 2024
    iTerm + fish. I wrote a post explaining my environment settings. - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Unavoidable developer tools
    ๐ŸŽ macOS: The default Terminal.app is widely used, but iTerm2 is often preferred for its rich feature set and customization options. - Source: dev.to / 8 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 / 8 months ago
  • Honukai Color Theme Goes IDE
    Honukai has long been my favorite iTerm, Oh My ZSH color theme, and I just assumed it existed for other use cases. But alas, I had to create them for myself. I adapted Oskar's work for Tabby terminal, ZED IDE and VS Code. You can get the files here. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • (Youtube blogpost) Building Tree Link app with Svelte and Tailwind CSS
    iTerm2 is a fast terminal emulator for macOS. Install one of Nerd Fonts for displaying fancy glyphs on your terminal. My current choice is Hack. And use it on your terminal app. For example, on iTerm2:. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing minicom and iTerm2, you can also consider the following products

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

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

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

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

Rocket BlueZoneTerminal Emulation - Terminal Emulator

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.