head to head · open source
Alacritty vs iTerm 2
Alacritty has 66,108 GitHub stars, 3,704 forks, 340 open issues and last shipped yesterday. iTerm 2 has 18,248 stars, 1,545 forks, 73 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Alacritty leads on adoption by 262% (66,108 vs 18,248 stars). Alacritty is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; iTerm 2 is written in Swift under GPL-2.0. Alacritty has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, iTerm 2 8%. Alacritty was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Alacritty | iTerm 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 66K | ★ 18K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 3.7K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Alacritty if
- You weight community size — 66K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick iTerm 2 if
- You want the iTerm 2 feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the GPL-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Swift
- You evaluated both and iTerm 2 fits your workflow better
About Alacritty
Alacritty A fast, cross platform, OpenGL terminal emulator About Alacritty is a modern terminal emulator that comes with sensible defaults, but allows for extensive configuration. By integrating with other applications, rather than reimplementing their functionality, it manages to provide a flexible set of features with high performance. The supported platforms currently consist of BSD, Linux, macOS and Windows. The software is considered to be at a beta level of readiness; there are a few missing features and bugs to be fixed, but it is already used by many as a daily driver. Precompiled binaries are available…
read the full Alacritty overview →
About iTerm 2
iTerm2 macOS Terminal Replacement Website • Downloads • Documentation • Features About iTerm2 is a powerful terminal emulator for macOS that brings the terminal into the modern age with features you never knew you always wanted. Key Features tmux Integration Native iTerm2 windows/tabs replace tmux's text based interface. Run tmux CC and tmux windows become real macOS windows. Sessions persist through crashes, SSH disconnects, and even app upgrades. Collaborate by having two people attach to the same session. Shell Integration Deep shell awareness that tracks commands, directories, hostnames, and usernames…
read the full iTerm 2 overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Alacritty or iTerm 2 more popular?
Alacritty has 66,108 GitHub stars and iTerm 2 has 18,248. Alacritty has the larger community by that measure.
Are Alacritty and iTerm 2 free?
Both are open source. Alacritty is licensed under Apache-2.0 and iTerm 2 under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Alacritty and iTerm 2?
Alacritty is written in Rust and iTerm 2 in Swift. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Alacritty or iTerm 2?
Choose Alacritty if you want the larger community (66,108 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose iTerm 2 if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.