Charm vs Kitty: Pricing and Ratings Compared (2026)
Entry prices and free plans as read on each vendor's pricing page, and user ratings as published on review sites, for Charm and Kitty side by side. This page compares data; it is not a hands-on review.
On the data: On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
Short on time? Here's the quick answer
Based on published vendor pricing and features and on public review data, here's who should pick what:
Charm
Build powerful and glamorous command-line applications and terminal user interfaces.
Best for you if:
- • You want all tools are open-source, promoting transparency and community contributions
Kitty
The fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users.
Best for you if:
- • You want fast GPU-accelerated terminal
| At a Glance | Charm | |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free 100% free | Free 100% free |
Category | Terminal Tools Developer Tools | Terminal Tools Developer Tools |
Rating | 4.1/5 G2 4.1 9 reviews | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | Crush talks to your LLM. The model bill is OpenAI/Anthropic/etc., not Charm. | n/a |
Choose Charm or Kitty?
Choose Charm if
- You want all tools are open-source, promoting transparency and community contributions
- You want enables the creation of visually appealing and interactive terminal applications
Choose Kitty if
- You want fast GPU-accelerated terminal
- You want built-in tabs, splits, multiplexing
In-Depth Analysis
Charm
Build powerful and glamorous command-line applications and terminal user interfaces.
Charm is an open-source terminal toolkit.
Watch out
Crush talks to your LLM. The model bill is OpenAI/Anthropic/etc., not Charm.
Strengths
- Pro: All tools are open-source, promoting transparency and community contributions.
- Pro: Enables the creation of visually appealing and interactive terminal applications.
- Pro: Provides a comprehensive ecosystem for various terminal development needs.
- Pro: Supports multiple operating systems (macOS, Linux, Windows, BSD).
- Pro: Simplifies shell scripting with powerful UI components without requiring Go code.
Weaknesses
- Con: Primarily targets developers, which might have a learning curve for non-technical users.
- Con: Specific features like LLM integration might require additional setup or understanding of AI models.
- Con: The extensive set of tools might be overwhelming for beginners.
Key features
Kitty
The fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users.
Kitty's pricing is exceptionally generous, as it is entirely free and open-source.
Strengths
- Pro: Fast GPU-accelerated terminal
- Pro: Built-in tabs, splits, multiplexing
- Pro: Image rendering support
- Pro: Highly configurable
- Pro: Cross-platform
Weaknesses
- Con: Configuration file-based only
- Con: Documentation can be dense
- Con: Learning curve
- Con: Some compatibility issues
- Con: Font rendering varies
Key features
Plans and prices: Charm vs Kitty
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Charm |
| charm.sh read Sep 30, 2026 |
| Kitty |
| sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty read Sep 30, 2026 |
Prices as read on each vendor's own pricing page on the date shown. Plans are listed per tool and are not matched against the other tool's plans: a plan name or price in one column says nothing about the same row in the other. Details on Charm pricing and Kitty pricing.
Key Takeaways
Charm
- Choose if you want build powerful and glamorous command-line applications and terminal user interfaces
Kitty
- Choose if you want the fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users
What the data shows
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair.
- Only Charm has a published user rating (4.1/5 from 9 reviews); Kitty has none we can show.
- Both have a free plan.
Criteria: user rating (only above 20 reviews on both sides, gap of 0.2 or more), entry price (only on the same billing basis), free plan. How we rate
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Charm and Kitty compare in 2026?
On the data below the two are close or not directly comparable, so we do not name a winner for this pair. Only Charm has a published user rating (4.1/5 from 9 reviews); Kitty has none we can show. Both have a free plan.
What are Charm and Kitty used for?
Charm: Build powerful and glamorous command-line applications and terminal user interfaces. Kitty: The fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users.
What does Charm cost vs Kitty?
Charm is free. Kitty is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Sep 30, 2026.
What's the main difference between Charm and Kitty?
Charm's main strength: all tools are open-source, promoting transparency and community contributions. Kitty's main strength: fast GPU-accelerated terminal.