head to head · open source
WezTerm vs iTerm 2
WezTerm has 29,426 GitHub stars, 1,848 forks, 1,849 open issues and last shipped 8 days ago. iTerm 2 has 18,248 stars, 1,545 forks, 73 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. WezTerm leads on adoption by 61% (29,426 vs 18,248 stars). WezTerm is written in Rust under a custom or non-standard licence; iTerm 2 is written in Swift under GPL-2.0. WezTerm has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, iTerm 2 8%. iTerm 2 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
| WezTerm | iTerm 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 29K | ★ 18K |
| License | Custom / other | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-10-26 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.8K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick WezTerm if
- You weight community size — 29K stars and counting
- You want the Custom / other 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 WezTerm
Wez's Terminal A GPU accelerated cross platform terminal emulator and multiplexer written by @wez and implemented in Rust User facing docs and guide at: Screenshot of wezterm on macOS, running vim Installation Getting help This is a spare time project, so please bear with me. There are a couple of channels for support: You can use the GitHub issue tracker to see if someone else has a similar issue, or to file a new one. Start or join a thread in our GitHub Discussions; if you have general questions or want to chat with other wezterm users, you're welcome here! There is a Matrix room via Element.io for…
read the full WezTerm 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 WezTerm or iTerm 2 more popular?
WezTerm has 29,426 GitHub stars and iTerm 2 has 18,248. WezTerm has the larger community by that measure.
Are WezTerm and iTerm 2 free?
Both are open source. WezTerm has no licence declared in this registry, and iTerm 2 is licensed under GPL-2.0. Both are free to self-host.
What is the difference between WezTerm and iTerm 2?
WezTerm 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, WezTerm or iTerm 2?
Choose WezTerm if you want the larger community (29,426 stars) or its Custom / other licence terms. Choose iTerm 2 if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.