JusTTY 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 JusTTY 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:
JusTTY
Minimal, native macOS terminal with real PTY shells
Best for you if:
- • You want lightweight and minimal, focusing on essential terminal features
Kitty
The fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users.
Best for you if:
- • You want a fully free tool (JusTTY requires payment)
| At a Glance | JusTTY | |
|---|---|---|
Starts at | Free plan, paid from $4/user/mo, billed monthly Team plan | Free 100% free |
Category | Developer Tools Terminal Tools | Terminal Tools Developer Tools |
Rating | n/a | n/a |
Free plan | Yes | Yes |
Watch out for | No overage fees but CI/CD minutes limited per tier | n/a |
Choose JusTTY or Kitty?
Choose JusTTY if
- You want lightweight and minimal, focusing on essential terminal features
- You want uses Ghostty's Metal renderer for smooth, hardware-accelerated rendering
- You work in developer tools, not terminal tools
Choose Kitty if
- You want a fully free tool (JusTTY requires payment)
- You want fast GPU-accelerated terminal
- You want built-in tabs, splits, multiplexing
- You work in terminal tools, not developer tools
In-Depth Analysis
JusTTY
Minimal, native macOS terminal with real PTY shells
JusTTY's pricing is generous for a terminal emulator, with a fully functional free tier and a Team plan at $4/user/month that adds useful collaboration features.
Watch out
No overage fees but CI/CD minutes limited per tier
Strengths
- Pro: Lightweight and minimal, focusing on essential terminal features
- Pro: Uses Ghostty's Metal renderer for smooth, hardware-accelerated rendering
- Pro: Open source with MIT license, allowing modification and redistribution
Weaknesses
- Con: Requires macOS 15.6 or later, limiting compatibility with older systems
- Con: Self-signed builds are not notarized, requiring extra steps to bypass Gatekeeper
- Con: Lacks advanced features like split panes, session management, or plugin support
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: JusTTY vs Kitty
| Tool | Plans and prices | Source |
|---|---|---|
| JusTTY |
| github.com/pricingread Oct 10, 2026 |
| Kitty |
| sw.kovidgoyal.net/kittyread 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 JusTTY pricing and Kitty pricing.
Key Takeaways
JusTTY
- Choose if you want minimal, native macOS terminal with real PTY shells
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.
- JusTTY starts at $4/user/mo, billed monthly; Kitty has no public paid plan price on file.
- 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 JusTTY 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. JusTTY starts at $4/user/mo, billed monthly; Kitty has no public paid plan price on file. Both have a free plan.
What are JusTTY and Kitty used for?
JusTTY: Minimal, native macOS terminal with real PTY shells. Kitty: The fast, feature-rich, GPU-based terminal emulator for power users.
What does JusTTY cost vs Kitty?
JusTTY's cheapest paid plan is Team at $4/user/mo, billed monthly; it also has a free plan. Kitty is free. Prices read on the vendors' pricing pages, latest check Oct 10, 2026.
What's the main difference between JusTTY and Kitty?
JusTTY's main strength: lightweight and minimal, focusing on essential terminal features. Kitty's main strength: fast GPU-accelerated terminal.