Ghostty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.2. Ghostty wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Lovable on 2.
Developers on Mac or Linux who live in the terminal
Beginners and founders who want a working web app without writing code
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Ghostty | Lovable |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Category rank | #2 of 18 | #13 of 18 |
| Developer | Mitchell Hashimoto and contributors | Lovable |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| iPhone & iPad | — | ✓ |
| Android | — | ✓ |
| Mac | ✓ | — |
| Linux | ✓ | — |
| Web | — | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Ghostty better than Lovable?
Ghostty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.2. Ghostty wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Lovable on 2.
Which is cheaper, Ghostty or Lovable?
Ghostty: Free and open source; optional donations go through the non-profit Hack Club. Lovable: Free: 5 build credits a day, up to 30 a month; Pro is $25 a month for 100 credits. On value for money, Ghostty scores higher.
Do Ghostty and Lovable work on the same devices?
Only Ghostty runs on Mac, Linux. Only Lovable runs on Web, iPhone & iPad, Android.
Which is more private, Ghostty or Lovable?
Ghostty scores higher on privacy (9.8/10). No account needed. Crash reports are saved locally and never sent anywhere automatically; you can share them yourself if you choose.
Strengths and weaknesses
Ghostty
- Fast GPU rendering with a native look
- Free, open source and run as a non-profit
- Hundreds of themes that follow light and dark mode
- No Windows app planned
- SSH hosts may need its terminfo installed
- AppleScript support is still a preview
Ghostty is a terminal emulator that refuses to choose between speed and polish. It renders on the GPU, uses real native tabs and splits on Mac and Linux, ships hundreds of themes that follow light and dark mode, and supports the Kitty graphics protocol and ligatures. Version 1.3 added scrollback search. It's free, MIT-licensed and run as a non-profit project. There's no Windows version, and remote SSH hosts may need its terminfo installed.
Full Ghostty review
Lovable
- No coding needed to get a working app
- You own the code and can sync it to GitHub
- Logins, database and hosting come included
- Free plan stops at 30 build credits a month
- Code download and custom domains need Pro
- AI training is on by default for Free and Pro
Lovable builds working websites and web apps from a chat. Type what you want, it writes the code, and you see the result right away. Logins, a database and hosting are built in. Lovable says you own the code. The free plan gives 5 build credits a day, capped at 30 a month, and it can sync your code to GitHub. Downloading the code or using your own domain needs Pro at $25 a month.
Full Lovable review
