Best Extraterm alternatives in 2026
8 direct alternatives to Extraterm, compared on pricing, features, and best-for use cases. Pick the right replacement without the marketing fluff.
LCCurated by Louis Corneloup · UpdatedWhy people consider alternatives to Extraterm
Extraterm is an open-source terminal emulator designed to enhance the traditional terminal experience with modern features. Teams most often switch away when one of these starts to bite:
- •Pricing at scale (rare for this tool, but feature limits push teams out)
- •Missing integrations with the rest of your stack.
- •Performance or scale limits as your needs grow.
- •A specific feature gap you have hit in terminal tools.
The 8 alternatives below cover the same core job (terminal tools) with different trade-offs. Ranked by real-signal score: G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editor review. No paid placement.
8 alternatives to Extraterm
Ranked by real-signal composite (rankingScore + community + reviews) and direct relevance to Extraterm.
- 1
iTerm2
FreeThe macOS terminal replacement for power users
Direct alternative4.7(50)Compare Extraterm vs iTerm2 → - 2
Alacritty
FreeGPU-accelerated terminal emulator for blazing-fast performance
Direct alternative4.3(12)Compare Extraterm vs Alacritty → - 3
Kitty
FreeThe fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users.
Direct alternativeCompare Extraterm vs Kitty → - 4
Contour Terminal
FreeA modern, fast, and GPU-accelerated terminal emulator for power users across all major platforms.
Direct alternativeCompare Extraterm vs Contour Terminal → - 5
WezTerm
FreeA GPU-accelerated cross-platform terminal emulator and multiplexer.
Direct alternativeCompare Extraterm vs WezTerm → - 6
Hyper
FreeA beautiful, extensible terminal built with web tech
Direct alternativeCompare Extraterm vs Hyper → - 7
Tabby
FreemiumA customizable terminal with built-in SSH and plugins
Direct alternativeCompare Extraterm vs Tabby → - 8
Rio Terminal
FreemiumA fast, modern, and customizable terminal emulator for developers.
Direct alternativeCompare Extraterm vs Rio Terminal →
Frequently asked questions
What is the best alternative to Extraterm?
Based on real-signal scoring (G2 and Capterra ratings, media mentions, and editorial review), the top alternatives to Extraterm are iTerm2, Alacritty, Kitty. Each solves the same core job with different trade-offs on pricing, features, and integrations.
Is there a free alternative to Extraterm?
Yes. iTerm2 is one of the free alternatives to Extraterm listed here (The macOS terminal replacement for power users). Other free options are flagged in the list below.
Why do people look for Extraterm alternatives?
Common reasons teams switch away from Extraterm: pricing that scales aggressively, missing integrations with the rest of their stack, performance or scale limits, or a specific feature gap in terminal tools. The alternatives on this page solve the same core problem with different trade-offs.
Side-by-side comparisons
In-depth comparison pages for Extraterm versus each alternative.
Still considering Extraterm?
See the full review, pricing breakdown, and community feedback before you decide.