Warp Alternatives: 12 Terminals and AI Agents to Try
October 8, 2026
The best Warp alternatives are Ghostty, iTerm2, WezTerm, Kitty, Alacritty, Windows Terminal, Wave Terminal and Tabby if you want a different terminal, and Claude Code, OpenAI Codex CLI, Antigravity CLI or Aider if you want AI in the terminal without Warp. Most people looking for a Warp terminal alternative want one of two things: a terminal that is just a terminal, or an AI setup they control themselves.
Those are different problems, and the fix for each is different:
- Want speed and nothing extra? Ghostty, Alacritty or Kitty.
- On a Mac and want the long-standing default? iTerm2.
- Want one config across Mac, Windows and Linux? WezTerm.
- On Windows? Windows Terminal, or Tabby if you live in SSH.
- Want AI built into the terminal app, with your own keys? Wave Terminal.
- Want an AI agent that works in any terminal? Claude Code, Codex CLI, Antigravity CLI or Aider.
The quick version first, then the detail.
Quick comparison
| Tool | Type | Open source | Platforms | AI built in? | Best reason to switch from Warp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghostty | Terminal | Yes (MIT) | macOS, Linux | No | Fast, native UI, minimal setup |
| iTerm2 | Terminal | Yes (GPL v2) | macOS | Optional plugin, off by default | The proven Mac terminal |
| WezTerm | Terminal + multiplexer | Yes (MIT) | macOS, Windows, Linux, BSD | No | One Lua config everywhere |
| Kitty | Terminal | Yes (GPL-3.0) | macOS, Linux, BSD | No | Fast, scriptable, extendable |
| Alacritty | Terminal | Yes (Apache-2.0) | macOS, Windows, Linux, BSD | No | Bare speed, pairs with tmux |
| Windows Terminal | Terminal | Yes (MIT) | Windows | No | The natural Windows choice |
| Wave Terminal | Terminal + workspace | Yes (Apache-2.0) | macOS, Windows, Linux | Yes, BYO key or local models | Closest to Warp's "terminal plus AI" idea |
| Tabby | Terminal + SSH client | Yes (MIT) | macOS, Windows, Linux | Via an MCP plugin | Saved SSH and serial connections |
| Claude Code | AI agent | No | macOS, Windows, Linux | It is the AI | Strong agent in whatever terminal you like |
| OpenAI Codex CLI | AI agent | Yes (Apache-2.0) | macOS, Windows, Linux | It is the AI | Open source agent tied to ChatGPT plans |
| Antigravity CLI | AI agent | Not stated | macOS, Windows, Linux | It is the AI | Google's agent and Gemini models |
| Aider | AI agent | Yes (Apache-2.0) | macOS, Windows, Linux | It is the AI | Any model, every edit a git commit |
What Warp is now, and why people leave
Warp started as a fast, modern terminal with AI on top. Today its homepage calls it "the agentic development environment," and the pitch centres on agents, cloud runs and team automation as much as on the terminal itself.
Two recent changes matter if you're comparing options.
Warp's client is open source now. In April 2026 Warp open-sourced its client under AGPL v3, with its UI framework under MIT. So "Warp isn't open source" is no longer quite true. What stays closed is the cloud side: the hosted agents, collaboration features and the services they talk to.
AI is the product, and it has strings. Warp's privacy documentation says telemetry is optional and you can switch it off in Settings. But free users need telemetry turned on to use AI features, and AI and Warp Drive need an account. Paid plans can opt out of telemetry and keep AI.
That leaves four common reasons people search for Warp alternatives:
- They want a plain terminal. No sign-in prompt, no agent panel, no blocks UI. Just a fast window running their shell.
- They don't want an account or telemetry tied to AI. They'd rather bring their own key or a local model.
- They want speed and a lighter footprint. Ghostty, Alacritty and Kitty are built around rendering speed.
- They prefer a different AI approach. Instead of AI inside the terminal app, they run an agent like Claude Code that works in any terminal.
The first three point to a new terminal emulator. The fourth points to a CLI agent. Plenty of people end up with one of each.
Terminal emulators: replace the Warp app
These replace the window you type in. None of them is an AI product, apart from Wave, iTerm2's optional plugin, and Tabby's MCP add-on.
Ghostty is the easiest swap if you mostly want speed. It's MIT-licensed, uses GPU rendering (Metal on macOS, OpenGL on Linux), and uses each platform's native UI, so tabs, splits and windows feel like a normal Mac or Linux app. Official builds cover macOS and Linux only — there's no Windows app.
iTerm2 is the long-running Mac default for developers who outgrow Apple's Terminal. It's free, GPL v2, and full of features: split panes, profiles, triggers, shell integration and a huge settings window. It also has AI, done the opposite way from Warp: generative features need a separate AI plugin you install yourself, and you have to consent before they work. If you want AI to be strictly opt-in, iTerm2 is a clean answer. Mac only.
WezTerm is the pick if you work across operating systems. It runs on Linux, macOS, Windows 10, FreeBSD and NetBSD, is configured in Lua, and has a built-in multiplexer for panes, tabs and windows on local and remote hosts — so you may not need tmux at all. One thing to know: its last tagged release on GitHub dates from February 2024. The repository is still active, but expect to follow newer builds rather than tidy versioned releases.
Kitty is a GPU-based terminal for people who live in the shell. It's GPL-3.0 and runs on Linux, macOS and the BSDs, but not Windows. Its "kittens" are small add-on programs for things like image display, diffs and remote file transfer, and nearly everything is scriptable.
Alacritty is the minimalist option. It's Apache-2.0, runs on BSD, Linux, macOS and Windows, and deliberately leaves out tabs and splits — the project says those are best left to a window manager or a multiplexer like tmux. If Warp felt heavy, this is the furthest you can swing the other way.
Windows Terminal is Microsoft's open source terminal (MIT). It hosts PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL distributions side by side in tabs and panes, renders text on the GPU, and is highly customisable. On Windows, start here before installing anything third-party.
Wave Terminal is the closest match to what Warp tries to be — a terminal plus a workspace plus AI. It's Apache-2.0, runs on macOS, Windows and Linux, and needs no account. You arrange terminal blocks, editors, web views and an AI assistant on one screen, preview files inline, and keep SSH sessions alive through network drops. Its AI works with your own keys for OpenAI, Claude or Gemini, or with local models through Ollama and LM Studio. If you like Warp's idea but want the AI on your own terms, try Wave first.
Tabby is a configurable terminal built around connections. It's MIT-licensed, runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, and includes a full SSH client with a connection manager, a serial terminal, and support for PowerShell, WSL, Git Bash and Cygwin on Windows. The project itself says it is not a lightweight app. AI arrives through an MCP server plugin rather than a built-in assistant.
AI terminal alternatives: run an agent in any terminal
Here's the shift a lot of developers have made: instead of an AI terminal, they use a normal terminal and run an AI coding agent inside it. The agent reads your project, edits files and runs commands. Swap the terminal and the agent comes with you.
Claude Code is Anthropic's agent. It runs in the terminal on macOS, Linux and Windows, and also in VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app and the browser. It reads your codebase, edits across files, runs commands, makes commits and pull requests, and supports MCP, skills and hooks. Most surfaces need a Claude subscription or an Anthropic Console account. It isn't open source. If you need to compare it with other agents, our Claude Code alternatives guide covers that side.
OpenAI Codex CLI is OpenAI's terminal agent, and it is open source under Apache-2.0. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, and you sign in with a ChatGPT plan or use an API key. If you liked Warp's agent but want the agent code itself to be open, this is the direct route. For the wider Codex picture, see OpenAI Codex alternatives.
Antigravity CLI is Google's terminal agent and the successor to Gemini CLI, with a migration guide for people moving over. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows and signs you in through your Google account in the browser. Google's docs don't state an open source licence. Pick it if you want Gemini models in the shell.
Aider is the oldest of the four and the most model-agnostic. It's Apache-2.0, connects to almost any LLM including local models, and commits each change with a generated message, so every AI edit is a normal git commit you can diff or undo. The trade-off is pace: its latest tagged release is still v0.86.2, so it moves slower than the vendor-backed agents.
A practical pairing many people land on: Ghostty or WezTerm for the window, plus one of these agents for the AI. You get a fast, quiet terminal and the AI you choose, with no single vendor owning both.
How to choose a Warp alternative
Start from the reason you're leaving.
| If your reason is… | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You want a plain, fast terminal | Ghostty, Alacritty or Kitty | Built around speed, nothing extra on screen |
| You're on a Mac and want maturity | iTerm2 | Deep feature set, AI strictly opt-in |
| You switch between Mac, Windows and Linux | WezTerm or Alacritty | Same terminal and config on each |
| You're on Windows | Windows Terminal or Tabby | Native shells and WSL, or a strong SSH manager |
| You want Warp's "terminal plus AI" without the account | Wave Terminal | BYO keys or local models, no login |
| You want better AI, not a different window | Claude Code, Codex CLI, Antigravity CLI or Aider | The agent works in any terminal |
| You want everything open source | Ghostty or WezTerm, plus Codex CLI or Aider | Open window, open agent |
Three practical notes before you switch:
- Check what you actually used in Warp. If it was mostly the input editor and command blocks, Wave and iTerm2's shell integration get closest. If it was mostly the agent, change the agent and keep any terminal you like.
- Move your shell config, not just the app. Your prompt, aliases and plugins live in your shell's config files, not in Warp. Most of your setup comes with you automatically.
- Try for a week. Terminal speed is easy to feel and hard to benchmark. Even Alacritty's maintainers say benchmarking terminals is complicated and suggest testing your own workflow.
When the terminal is the wall
Everything above assumes you're comfortable in a terminal. Many people who search for an AI terminal aren't — they saw a Claude Code or Codex setup someone shared, opened a terminal to try it, and stalled at the first install step. If that's you, how to use Claude Code without the terminal walks through the non-terminal options.
If the setup step is where you keep stalling, Taku mirrors an AI app or workflow someone already got working into a desktop workspace where you can run it, edit it and save it as your own — without reproducing their environment first. It isn't a terminal or a coding agent. Taku is in Beta, and the Mac app is available now.
FAQ
Is Warp free?
Warp has a free plan that includes the terminal, and charges for heavier AI agent use through paid plans and pay-as-you-go usage. Some plans also let you bring your own inference. Check Warp's pricing page for current plans, since they change.
Is Warp open source?
Its client is. Warp open-sourced the client in April 2026 under AGPL v3, with the UI framework under MIT. The cloud services behind its agents and team features are not open source.
What is the best open source Warp alternative?
For a terminal, Ghostty (MIT) on Mac and Linux, or WezTerm (MIT) if you also need Windows. For Warp-style AI in an open source terminal, Wave Terminal (Apache-2.0) with your own API key or a local model.
Can I use Warp without logging in?
Yes, for the terminal itself. Warp's docs say AI features and Warp Drive need an account, and that free users need telemetry enabled to use AI.
What's the best Warp alternative on Mac?
iTerm2 if you want the most features, Ghostty if you want speed and a native feel. Both are free and open source.
Is there a Warp alternative with built-in AI?
Wave Terminal is the closest, with an AI assistant that uses your own keys or local models. iTerm2 offers AI through an optional plugin. Or keep any terminal and run an agent like Claude Code, Codex CLI, Antigravity CLI or Aider inside it.