head to head · open source
Zellij vs iTerm 2
Zellij has 35,916 GitHub stars, 1,518 forks, 1,915 open issues and last shipped 4 days ago. iTerm 2 has 18,245 stars, 1,543 forks, 73 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Zellij leads on adoption by 97% (35,916 vs 18,245 stars). Zellij is written in Rust under MIT; iTerm 2 is written in Swift under GPL-2.0. Zellij has attracted 4% 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
| Zellij | iTerm 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 36K | ★ 18K |
| License | MIT | GPL-2.0 |
| Written in | Rust | Swift |
| Last push | 2026-10-30 | 2026-11-01 |
| Forks | ⑂ 1.5K | ⑂ 1.5K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Zellij if
- You weight community size — 36K stars and counting
- You want the MIT 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 Zellij
Zellij [ Installation ] [ Screencasts & Tutorials ] [ Configuration ] [ Layouts ] [ FAQ ] What is this? Zellij is a workspace aimed at developers, ops oriented people and anyone who loves the terminal. Similar programs are sometimes called "Terminal Multiplexers". Zellij is designed around the philosophy that one must not sacrifice simplicity for power, taking pride in its great experience out of the box as well as the advanced features it places at its users' fingertips. Zellij is geared toward beginner and power users alike allowing deep customizability, personal automation through layouts, true multiplayer…
read the full Zellij 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 Zellij or iTerm 2 more popular?
Zellij has 35,916 GitHub stars and iTerm 2 has 18,245. Zellij has the larger community by that measure.
Are Zellij and iTerm 2 free?
Both are open source. Zellij is licensed under MIT and iTerm 2 under GPL-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Zellij and iTerm 2?
Zellij 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, Zellij or iTerm 2?
Choose Zellij if you want the larger community (35,916 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose iTerm 2 if its feature set, stack or GPL-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.