Ghostty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.5. Ghostty wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Warp on 2.
Developers on Mac or Linux who live in the terminal
Developers who want a modern terminal with AI help built in
Score by score
The details
| Feature | Ghostty | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Category rank | #2 of 10 | #8 of 10 |
| Developer | Mitchell Hashimoto and contributors | Warp |
| Pricing | Free | Free + paid plans |
| Usable for free | Yes | Yes |
| Mac | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows | — | ✓ |
| Linux | ✓ | ✓ |
Common questions
Is Ghostty better than Warp?
Ghostty is the better app overall, scoring 9.1 to 8.5. Ghostty wins on 3 of the 5 scores, Warp on 2.
Which is cheaper, Ghostty or Warp?
Ghostty: Free and open source; optional donations go through the non-profit Hack Club. Warp: Free terminal; Build is $20/month ($18 billed yearly) with $20 of AI usage. On value for money, Ghostty scores higher.
Do Ghostty and Warp work on the same devices?
Only Warp runs on Windows.
Which is more private, Ghostty or Warp?
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
Warp
- Much friendlier than a classic terminal
- The agent can write commands, fix errors and code
- Open source and native on Mac, Windows and Linux
- Free plan has no included AI usage
- Free users must keep telemetry on to use AI
Warp rethinks the terminal. Commands and output are grouped into blocks you can copy, search and share, the input line edits like a text editor, and a built-in agent can write commands, fix errors and handle coding tasks, locally or in the cloud. Since April 2026 the client is open source. The trade-offs: free AI is pay-as-you-go or bring your own, and purists may find it too far from a classic terminal.
Full Warp review
