macOS includes a plethora of features and apps for various purposes, and if you're a developer, the Terminal app will come in handy. Terminal is the default command-line interface in macOS, where you can enter and execute commands or scripts to perform specific tasks on your Mac.
However, the built-in Terminal app isn't everyone's cup of tea, so you may want to replace it with alternatives. Below, we've compiled a list of the best Terminal alternatives for your Mac.
1. iTerm2
iTerm2 is an excellent replacement for the Terminal app in macOS and includes many features you wish Terminal had. One is the Split Panes feature, where you can divide your workspace into multiple vertical or horizontal panes.
Unlike Terminal on macOS, iTerm2 lets you autocomplete what you type to write commands quickly. It has multi-language support, where you can type in your preferred language with support for emojis and other Unicode features.
Besides these features and customization options, you'll find many excellent features in iTerm2, such as paste history, password manager, global search, triggers, and many more.
Download:iTerm2 (Free)
2. Warp
Warp is a modern-looking terminal for your Mac that doesn't compromise on the features. Plus, if you're a fan of customization, you'll love Warp's Themes Creator, which lets you pick your favorite fonts, colors, backgrounds, and more.
Like other third-party terminal apps, Warp uses syntax highlighting that allows you to differentiate between commands. It provides an IDE-like command-line interface, which might be new to you.
Furthermore, Warp lets you autocomplete commands with its suggestions and offers a list of commonly-used commands with proper descriptions. It also uses blocks that divide prompt, input, and outputs and lets you copy the command, output, or even both instantly.
Download:Warp (Free)
3. Hyper
Hyper is an open-source Electron-based terminal written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. It looks minimal by default, but you can customize it to your liking. If you need a head start, check out the Themes section on its website. Hyper natively supports Apple silicon and is also available for other platforms.
The best part about Hyper is its support for extensions. As a result, it lets you unlock more capabilities in Hyper, such as split pane, text search, and much more. Since Hyper is comparatively new, you might not find many extensions or themes. However, you can use its APIs to create one.
Download:Hyper (Free)
4. Alacritty
Alacritty is an open-source terminal for Mac that emphasizes performance since it utilizes your Mac's GPU. Besides having excellent performance, it doesn't compromise on the features.
The vi mode in Allacrity lets you move through the viewport using the keyboard and serves as a jump-off point for other features. If you don't want to start the vi mode, you can use the Hints feature to interact with the visible text.
Alacritty allows you to open URLs by clicking them, unlike other terminal apps where you should hold the Shift key and click the URL with your mouse. Furthermore, it has multi-window support, meaning you can create new instances of Alacritty using a keyboard shortcut.
Download:Alacritty (Free)
5. Tabby
Tabby is a feature-packed yet modern-looking terminal for Mac. The best part is that it supports different shells in the same window, such as CMD, PowerShell, Cygwin, and Git Bash. You can also create tabs on any side of the window.
Moreover, it doubles as an SSH client with a connection manager and supports SFTP and Zmodem file transfers, port forwarding, proxy commands, and much more. You can find themes with CSS customization support if you want customization options.
Tabby has an excellent set of configurable shortcuts and multi-chord shortcuts. Besides, if you ever leave your work and close Tabby, it remembers your tabs and the split panes. Lastly, if you often work on SSH, Tabby has an integrated encrypted container for SSH secrets and configurations, making it one of the best SSH clients for Mac.
Download:Tabby (Free)
6. Rio
If you're looking for a minimal yet fast Terminal alternative for your Mac, Rio could be a perfect choice for you. It's written in Rust and uses sugar architecture for minimal and quick interactions. It supports native tabs and lets you keep track of the progress of other tabs with a minimal interface.
Rio lets you choose between five navigation modes: CollapsedTab, NativeTab, BottomTab, TopTab, and Breadcrumb. There's color automation for navigation, meaning you can specify color overwrites for tabs. Besides, Rio utilizes some features from Alacritty and Kitty, which improves its performance.
Download:Rio (Free)
Get Better Terminal Apps for Your Mac
So, these are the best alternatives to the built-in Terminal app on macOS. Whether you want a minimal interface, more customization, or better performance, you'll find a third-party terminal app for that.
iTerm2, Hyper, and Alacritty are some popular options you can consider before looking at other terminals. Ultimately, choosing the best Terminal alternative for your Mac comes down to your preferences and needs.
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