Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

tmux VS wezterm

Compare tmux VS wezterm 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...

wezterm logo wezterm

GPU-accelerated cross-platform terminal emulator and multiplexer made with Rust.
  • tmux Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-19
  • wezterm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-10-02

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.

wezterm features and specs

  • Performance
    WezTerm is known for its high performance and low resource usage, making it suitable for heavy terminal workloads.
  • Cross-Platform
    WezTerm supports multiple operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing for a consistent terminal experience across different environments.
  • Modern Features
    It offers modern features like GPU acceleration, ligature support, and configurable color schemes, providing a better user experience.
  • Extensibility
    WezTerm is highly configurable and extensible through its Lua scripting interface, letting users tailor the terminal to their workflow.
  • Multiplexing
    It has built-in support for terminal multiplexing, which allows users to split windows and manage multiple terminal sessions more efficiently.
  • Active Development
    The project is actively maintained and regularly updated with new features and bug fixes.

Possible disadvantages of wezterm

  • Steep Learning Curve
    The extensive configurability and scripting capabilities can be overwhelming for new users who are not familiar with Lua or advanced terminal configurations.
  • Sparse Documentation
    The documentation, while improving, is still not as comprehensive as some other terminals, which can make initial setup and customization challenging.
  • Young Project
    Being relatively newer compared to some other terminal emulators, it may lack some features that long-established users might expect.
  • Limited Community Support
    Due to its younger status and niche user base, there might be less community support and fewer third-party resources compared to more mature terminal emulators.

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

Analysis of wezterm

Overall verdict

  • WezTerm is generally considered a good choice for users who value performance, configurability, and modern terminal features. It stands out for its emphasis on speed and its robust set of functionalities that cater to both casual and advanced users.

Why this product is good

  • WezTerm is a terminal emulator known for its speed and configurability. It supports modern terminal features including GPU acceleration, ligatures, and Unicode support, making it appealing for power users and developers. The terminal's ability to handle multiple panes and tabs efficiently, along with its remote connectivity features, adds to its versatility. WezTerm's active development and responsive community are also significant advantages, ensuring ongoing improvements and support.

Recommended for

  • Developers looking for a fast and versatile terminal emulator.
  • Users who need support for GPU acceleration and modern text rendering.
  • People who require advanced features like quick pane and tab management.
  • Those who appreciate active development and community support.

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

wezterm videos

No wezterm videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to tmux and wezterm)
Terminal Tools
47 47%
53% 53
SSH
35 35%
65% 65
Server Management
27 27%
73% 73
Developer Tools
100 100%
0% 0

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 wezterm

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 that’s really stretching your definition, and the other two certainly don’t qualify.
Source: www.tecmint.com

wezterm Reviews

We have no reviews of wezterm yet.
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, wezterm should be more popular than tmux. It has been mentiond 47 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 (29)

  • 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 / 3 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 / 4 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 / 8 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 ( 👋 ) that would rather just have fingertip access to our common tools inside of our editor. - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Automating the startup of a dev workflow
    Well, I now use tmux and tmuxinator. I have had many failed tmux attempts over the years, but I'm firmly bedded in now. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
View more

wezterm mentions (47)

  • Make Wezterm Mimic Tmux
    A month ago, I came across WezTerm, a new GPU-accelerated, cross-platform terminal emulator written in Rust (and I’m not a Rust fanboy, for real!). It piqued my interest, so I decided to give it a try. - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
  • In your opinion, what is the text-editor equivalent of Openbox?
    2) Examples of text editors that make use of features of the gui window manager the text editor is run under: gvim, gedit, leafpad[5], overleaf[6] 3) text editor with 'run-time' presentation extension of protocols such as html : vim live server[7] 4) write one's own custom interface to use with bashed[8] ---- [0] : intro to terminal multiplexers (part 1) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0upAE692fY [1] :... - Source: Hacker News / 9 months ago
  • Executable Blog Posts: Second Take
    I used Lua for years to configure my awesomewm desktop environment. Then, I started using it to configure my Wezterm. Since I bumped into an Emacs bug (lsp-mode bug to be fair), I switched quickly to Neovim after 20 years of Emacs, and I am using Lua to configure my Neovim. Last but not least, OpenResty gives my Nginx superpowers with Lua. - Source: dev.to / 10 months ago
  • WezTerm: an actually good config key binding recipe
    While WezTerm is a great terminal with sane defaults, it doesn't provide The default key binding to open the configuration file and edit it. That is Understandable, everyone may have their own preference for that. Here we will Figure out the recipe that would work everywhere and abide by modern standards. - Source: dev.to / 12 months ago
  • Superfile – A fancy, petty terminal file manager
    I very well might be in the minority of Linux users, but I don't particularly care about the answers to most of these questions. I just want it to work. Give me solid defaults[0]. I'm not saying you shouldn't be able to override those defaults. That's an important feature of Linux. My first experience running a cool-looking TUI file manager yesterday (I actually ended up trying yazi first) was that I got a lot of... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing tmux and wezterm, you can also consider the following products

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

Konsole - Konsole is a free terminal emulator which is part of KDE Software Compilation.

iTerm2 - A terminal emulator for macOS that does amazing things.

byobu - Byobu is a GPLv3 open source text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer.

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

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