Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

tmux VS ST - Simple Terminal

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

tmux logo tmux

tmux is a terminal multiplexer: it enables a number of terminals (or windows), each running a...

ST - Simple Terminal logo ST - Simple Terminal

st is a simple terminal implementation for X.
  • tmux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19
  • ST - Simple Terminal Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-10-28

tmux features and specs

  • Session Management
    tmux allows users to manage multiple terminal sessions from a single window, making it easier to multitask and organize workflows.
  • Persistent Sessions
    Sessions in tmux can persist even after disconnecting from the host. You can detach from a session and reattach later without losing your work.
  • Window and Pane Splitting
    tmux supports splitting windows into multiple panes, allowing users to have different programs or terminal instances side-by-side within the same window.
  • Customization
    Highly customizable with support for configuring key bindings, status lines, color schemes, and more through a configuration file.
  • Scripting and Automation
    Provides extensive scripting capabilities which can be used to automate routine tasks and workflows.
  • Remote Use
    Particularly useful for remote work, as it can be used to manage sessions on remote servers efficiently over SSH.
  • Performance
    Relatively lightweight and performant, consuming minimal system resources.
  • Community and Documentation
    A large and active community providing extensive documentation, tutorials, and plugins to extend functionality.

Possible disadvantages of tmux

  • Learning Curve
    Can be difficult to learn and memorize all the commands and key bindings, especially for new users.
  • Configuration Complexity
    The configuration can be complex and might require significant effort to customize according to individual needs.
  • Compatibility
    Might have compatibility issues with certain terminal emulators or applications, requiring workarounds or special configurations.
  • Resource Limits
    While lightweight, extensive use with many windows and panes can still consume significant system resources, potentially impacting system performance.
  • Copy-Pasting
    Copy-pasting within tmux can be less straightforward compared to using a regular terminal, requiring specific key bindings and knowledge of tmux buffers.
  • Clipboard Integration
    Integration with the system clipboard can require additional configuration and might not work seamlessly out-of-the-box.
  • Frequent Updates
    Frequent updates and changes can sometimes introduce bugs or break existing configurations, requiring users to adapt and troubleshoot.

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 tmux

Overall verdict

  • Yes, tmux is considered a valuable tool by many in the tech community. Its features make it particularly useful for developers, system administrators, and power users who work extensively within the command-line environment.

Why this product is good

  • Tmux is a highly regarded terminal multiplexer that allows users to manage multiple terminal sessions from a single window. It facilitates productive workflows by enabling users to switch between different programs easily, run multiple applications, and keep programs running in the background. Tmux also supports session persistence, which allows users to disconnect from a session and reconnect later without losing their work state. Additionally, it is highly customizable and can be tailored to meet specific user needs, enhancing efficiency and usability.

Recommended for

  • Developers
  • System Administrators
  • Power Users
  • Linux Enthusiasts
  • Anyone who works extensively in the terminal

tmux videos

How I Work: Tmux

More videos:

  • Tutorial - You need to know how to use TMUX
  • Review - Getting Started with tmux Part 1 - Overview and Features

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 tmux and ST - Simple Terminal)
Terminal Tools
100 100%
0% 0
SSH
57 57%
43% 43
Development
0 0%
100% 100
Server Management
60 60%
40% 40

User comments

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Reviews

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

tmux Reviews

Top 13 Best Tiling Window Managers For Linux In 2022
Tmux makes the most of the available space and is simple to use thanks to keybindings that may be used to divide windows and create extra panes. Individual shell instances can also be shared throughout various sessions and utilised for different purposes by different users.
Source: www.hubtech.org
13 Best Tiling Window Managers for Linux
tilix is a multiplexing terminal, not a tiling window manager. tmux is a terminal multiplexer, not a tiling window manager either. jwm is a lightweight STACKING window manager. I guess you could call tmux a tiling wm for a console only system (along with gnu screen and dvtm), but thatโ€™s really stretching your definition, and the other two certainly donโ€™t qualify.
Source: www.tecmint.com

ST - Simple Terminal Reviews

The 10 Best Linux Terminal Emulators
The st or Simple Terminal emulator gives you precisely what you ask for. โ€ A simple terminal emulator to interact with your Linux distro.โ€
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, ST - Simple Terminal should be more popular than tmux. It has been mentiond 48 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.

tmux mentions (30)

  • Down the Rabbit Hole with Claude Code: My Journey to Window Key Switcher
    First, I tried tmux, again. It wasn't my first attempt with it, but like the last time, I didn't click with the shortcuts. They're too weird and complex for me. Also, I don't need the session system, and the mouse support doesn't really work natively. - Source: dev.to / about 2 months ago
  • Switching from tmux to Zellij
    If you've used terminal multiplexer in command line, you know tmux is cool! If you haven't, you really should use something like tmux, especially if you SSH into remote servers often! - Source: dev.to / 7 months ago
  • Switching Fully to Neovim
    Additionally, I integrate several CLI tools into my work flow, such as lazygit for streamlined Git operations, yazi as a terminal file manager, tmux for session management, and lazydocker for handling Docker containers efficiently. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
  • Turing Pi 2 Home cluster
    This also gave me the chance to learn how to use Tmux. Best tool I've learned in a while. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Easy Access to Terminal Commands in Neovim using FTerm
    Having a common set of tools already set up in different windows or sessions in Tmux or Zellij is obviously an option, but there is a subset of us ( ๐Ÿ‘‹ ) that would rather just have fingertip access to our common tools inside of our editor. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
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ST - Simple Terminal mentions (48)

  • Tabby โ€“ 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
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What are some alternatives?

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

wezterm - GPU-accelerated cross-platform terminal emulator and multiplexer made with Rust.

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

Alacritty - Alacritty is a blazing fast, GPU accelerated terminal emulator.

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.

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

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