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Rank #3 of 6 in Terminals

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WezTerm

Open Source

Wez Furlong / WezTerm community

wezterm.org ↗Try it →
PA Score18/100AGENT-READY25/100BUILT-IN AI0/100API0/100
MCP—CLI✓API~
★ 28.9k▲ 3.4k/yr★ +127
ArenasTerminals#3/6

Access

CLI docs ↗

Install

brewbrew install --cask wezterm

Compare head-to-head

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Alternatives to WezTerm →

Showcase

WezTerm homepage screenshot
homepage · captured Sep 2026 · view live ↗
WezTerm docs screenshot
docs · captured Sep 2026 · view live ↗

Try itExperimental

See what an agent can do with WezTerm before you ever sign up. Pick a story: recorded sessions replay real probe-harness transcripts; sandboxed self-drive sessions are designed and gated (docs/TRY-IT.md).

$wezterm cli --helprecorded session — replayed, not live
recorded 2026-09-04 · exit 0 · captured verbatim by our probe harness, secrets redacted

Verified integrations

No integration evidence found in our corpus for this product yet — that means none was found, never that it doesn’t integrate.

By theme — the product's score on each story themeBy theme

Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticnessevidence →

How well agents can access and operate the product

17.1/100

Ai assistance — stories about ai assistance in this arenaAi assistanceevidence →

Stories about ai assistance in this arena

0.0/100

Automation depth — how much of the product can run unattendedAutomation depthevidence →

How much of the product can run unattended

12.8/100

Config theming — stories about config theming in this arenaConfig themingevidence →

Stories about config theming in this arena

50.6/100

Openness — open source, data portability, and self-hosting storiesOpennessevidence →

Open source, data portability, and self-hosting stories

40.2/100

Panes multiplexing — stories about panes multiplexing in this arenaPanes multiplexingevidence →

Stories about panes multiplexing in this arena

51.0/100

Performance rendering — stories about performance rendering in this arenaPerformance renderingevidence →

Stories about performance rendering in this arena

7.2/100

Privacy posture — data-handling and privacy storiesPrivacy postureevidence →

Data-handling and privacy stories

0.0/100

Protocols media — stories about protocols media in this arenaProtocols mediaevidence →

Stories about protocols media in this arena

49.0/100

Remote ssh — stories about remote ssh in this arenaRemote sshevidence →

Stories about remote ssh in this arena

36.0/100

Scriptability control — stories about scriptability control in this arenaScriptability controlevidence →

Stories about scriptability control in this arena

75.2/100

Shell integration — stories about shell integration in this arenaShell integrationevidence →

Stories about shell integration in this arena

0.0/100

Workflow ergonomics — stories about workflow ergonomics in this arenaWorkflow ergonomicsevidence →

Stories about workflow ergonomics in this arena

41.6/100

Story verdicts — every judged story with its evidenceStory verdicts

?

Sorted by importance (agentic first) (high → low) · 54/54 stories · click a row’s chevron for the rationale and evidence

Drive the product through a documented public API G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness3partial6/10T

Connect an agent via an official MCP server G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness3noneuntestednone yet

Delegate tasks to a built-in AI assistant inside the product G

Agentic features

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness3n/auntestednone yet

Plug MCP servers into this product so it can use their tools G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness3noneuntestednone yet

Run the product headlessly / in CI for automation G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2full8/10T

Use an official CLI G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2full8/10T

Download a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent) G

Api quality

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2none0/10

Explore an interactive API reference with runnable examples G

Api quality

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2none0/10

Point an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2none0/10

Rely on versioned APIs with a documented deprecation policy G

Api quality

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2none0/10

Set up automations that run autonomously in the background G

Agentic features

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2none0/10

Build against official SDKs G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2n/auntestednone yet

Get AI-generated insights and suggestions from my data inside the product G

Agentic features

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2n/auntestednone yet

Issue scoped/least-privilege API credentials for an agent G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2n/auntestednone yet

Operate the product with natural-language commands G

Agentic features

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2n/auntestednone yet

Subscribe to events via webhooks G

Agent access

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness2noneuntestednone yet

Test against a sandbox environment without touching production data G

Api quality

ai-native userAgenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productAgenticness1n/auntestednone yet

Keep the terminal's full configuration as plain-text files in my dotfiles and sync it across machines C

Dotfiles

power-userConfig theming — stories about config theming in this arenaConfig theming3full9/10X

Let a coding agent programmatically drive the terminal itself — create panes, run commands, read output — through a documented control protocol or API C

Agent control

ai-native userScriptability control — stories about scriptability control in this arenaScriptability control3full9/10T

Script and control the terminal from the command line — open windows, send text, query state — via a documented CLI or IPC interface C

Remote control

developerScriptability control — stories about scriptability control in this arenaScriptability control3full9/10T

Split windows into panes and organize work across tabs without an external multiplexer C

Multiplexing

developerPanes multiplexing — stories about panes multiplexing in this arenaPanes multiplexing3full9/10T

Self-host the core product G

ai-native userOpenness — open source, data portability, and self-hosting storiesOpenness3full8/10T

Export all of my data in open formats and leave G

ai-native userOpenness — open source, data portability, and self-hosting storiesOpenness3partial5/10X

Rely on GPU-accelerated rendering that stays fast and responsive under heavy output C

Rendering

developerPerformance rendering — stories about performance rendering in this arenaPerformance rendering3disputed4/10D

Define rules that trigger actions automatically on events G

ai-native userAutomation depth — how much of the product can run unattendedAutomation depth3partial3/10T

Delegate terminal tasks to a built-in AI agent that plans and executes commands with my approval C

Ai agent

ai-native userAi assistance — stories about ai assistance in this arenaAi assistance3noneuntestednone yet

Prevent my data from being used to train AI models G

ai-native userPrivacy posture — data-handling and privacy storiesPrivacy posture3n/auntestednone yet

Run the same terminal with the same config on macOS, Linux, and Windows C

Platforms

developerProtocols media — stories about protocols media in this arenaProtocols media2full8/10X

Search my scrollback quickly and jump between matches C

Scrollback

developerWorkflow ergonomics — stories about workflow ergonomics in this arenaWorkflow ergonomics2full8/10X

Define startup sessions and window layouts in config or scripts so a project workspace opens in one command C

Layouts

power-userScriptability control — stories about scriptability control in this arenaScriptability control2full7/10T

Display inline images and rich graphics via a documented terminal graphics protocol C

Graphics

developerProtocols media — stories about protocols media in this arenaProtocols media2disputed6/10D

Do everything through the API that I can do in the UI G

ai-native userOpenness — open source, data portability, and self-hosting storiesOpenness2partial6/10T

Extend the terminal with scripts or plugins in a real language (Lua, Python, kittens) beyond built-in options C

Extensibility

developerScriptability control — stories about scriptability control in this arenaScriptability control2partial6/10X

SSH to remote hosts with the terminal's own integration carrying my terminfo, shell integration, and config along C

Ssh

developerRemote ssh — stories about remote ssh in this arenaRemote ssh2partial6/10C

Use programming fonts with ligatures, fallback fonts, and fine-grained font tuning C

Fonts

developerConfig theming — stories about config theming in this arenaConfig theming2disputed6/10D

Use tmux inside the terminal, or a documented native tmux integration/control mode C

Tmux

developerRemote ssh — stories about remote ssh in this arenaRemote ssh2partial6/10T

Apply color schemes and themes, including automatic light/dark mode switching C

Theming

power-userConfig theming — stories about config theming in this arenaConfig theming2partial4/10C

Open URLs and file paths from output by clicking them or selecting them from the keyboard C

Hyperlinks

developerWorkflow ergonomics — stories about workflow ergonomics in this arenaWorkflow ergonomics2partial4/10C

Perform bulk operations across many items at once G

ai-native userAutomation depth — how much of the product can run unattendedAutomation depth2partial4/10T

Restore my windows, tabs, and working directories after a restart or crash C

Sessions

developerPanes multiplexing — stories about panes multiplexing in this arenaPanes multiplexing2partial3/10C

I get command-aware features from shell integration, like exit status, duration, and notifications when long commands finish C

Command tracking

developerShell integration — stories about shell integration in this arenaShell integration2none0/10

Jump between prompts and command marks in my scrollback thanks to shell integration C

Marks

developerShell integration — stories about shell integration in this arenaShell integration2none0/10

Choose where my data is stored (region/residency) G

ai-native userPrivacy posture — data-handling and privacy storiesPrivacy posture2n/auntestednone yet

Control data retention and deletion G

ai-native userPrivacy posture — data-handling and privacy storiesPrivacy posture2n/auntestednone yet

Get AI explanations and suggested fixes when a command fails C

Ai commands

ai-native userAi assistance — stories about ai assistance in this arenaAi assistance2n/auntestednone yet

Opt out of telemetry and usage tracking G

ai-native userPrivacy posture — data-handling and privacy storiesPrivacy posture2noneuntestednone yet

Read the product's source under an open license G

ai-native userOpenness — open source, data portability, and self-hosting storiesOpenness2noneuntestednone yet

Schedule recurring jobs or workflows G

ai-native userAutomation depth — how much of the product can run unattendedAutomation depth2noneuntestednone yet

See published benchmarks or measured latency/throughput numbers backing the terminal's performance claims C

Benchmarks

power-userPerformance rendering — stories about performance rendering in this arenaPerformance rendering2noneuntestednone yet

Type natural language and get the right shell command generated in place C

Ai commands

ai-native userAi assistance — stories about ai assistance in this arenaAi assistance2n/auntestednone yet

Use or fully disable AI features with clear control over what session data leaves my machine, without a forced login C

Ai privacy

ai-native userAi assistance — stories about ai assistance in this arenaAi assistance2noneuntestednone yet

Discover and run terminal actions from a searchable command palette C

Discoverability

power-userWorkflow ergonomics — stories about workflow ergonomics in this arenaWorkflow ergonomics1none0/10

Summon the terminal instantly with a global hotkey or quake-style dropdown window C

Quick access

power-userPanes multiplexing — stories about panes multiplexing in this arenaPanes multiplexing1noneuntestednone yet

Version, review, and roll back my automations G

ai-native userAutomation depth — how much of the product can run unattendedAutomation depth1noneuntestednone yet

Opportunities — the stories that would move this product's scores, from its own judged verdictsOpportunitiestop 8 of 30 stories with headroom

What would move WezTerm’s scores — derived from its own judged verdicts, biggest headroom first. Each line quotes what the judge found missing; shipping it (or evidencing it publicly) is the fix.

  1. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productPlug MCP servers into this product so it can use their tools

    nonemoves agent-readyimpact 45

    The axis applies to terminal emulators as a kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na".

  2. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productConnect an agent via an official MCP server

    nonemoves agent-readyimpact 45

    This product is not itself an agent, so publishing an official MCP server is plausible and the axis applies; no first-party MCP server appears in the evidence.

  3. Ai assistance — stories about ai assistance in this arenaDelegate terminal tasks to a built-in AI agent that plans and executes commands with my approval

    nonemoves PA Scoreimpact 30

    The axis applies to terminal emulators as a kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na".

  4. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productPoint an agent at llms.txt or agent-oriented docs

    nonemoves agent-readyimpact 30

    WezTerm is a terminal emulator with no llms.txt or agent-oriented documentation endpoint; probes explicitly confirm 404s for llms.txt and markdown doc variants, and there is no mention of agent-facing docs anywhere in the docs or community evidence.

  5. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productSet up automations that run autonomously in the background

    nonemoves Built-in AIimpact 30

    Missing: any documented scheduling/trigger mechanism, autonomous background job execution, or agent-loop capability distinct from manual/CLI-invoked scripting.

  6. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productSubscribe to events via webhooks

    nonemoves agent-readyimpact 30

    The axis applies to terminal emulators as a kind (peer products hold positive or none verdicts on this story), so lack of evidence for an applicable capability is "none", never "na".

  7. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productExplore an interactive API reference with runnable examples

    nonemoves API qualityimpact 30

    WezTerm is a terminal emulator with static configuration docs and a Lua API reference, but there's no evidence of an interactive, runnable-examples API reference; probes confirm no llms.txt, no docs-md, and no OpenAPI/interactive API surface exists.

  8. Agenticness — how well agents can access and operate the productDownload a machine-readable API spec (OpenAPI or equivalent)

    nonemoves API qualityimpact 30

    WezTerm exposes a CLI and mux protocol but no machine-readable API spec is documented; probes for llms.txt, docs-md, and OpenAPI/swagger endpoints all return 404.

Showing the top 8 of 30 — every none/partial verdict in the story verdicts table is headroom.

Think a verdict is wrong? Every verdicts-table row has a Flag link — see the methodology.

Coverage map — which docs area, API section, or community source covers which judged storiesCoverage map12 surfaces · 24 covered stories

Where the cited evidence behind each covered verdict came from — the same citations the verdicts table shows, no extra judging.

CLI docs13 stories

Hacker News12 stories

Config docs8 stories

Features docs5 stories

Multiplexing docs4 stories

Shell integration docs4 stories

Ssh docs3 stories

wezterm.org3 stories

llms.txt2 stories

OpenAPI spec2 stories

Quickselect docs2 stories

Install docs1 story

Probe proofs — replayable recordings from the probe harnessProbe proofs

Replayable recordings from our probe harness — see the Prove-It protocol to submit one.

$wezterm cli --helpreproduced
$ wezterm cli --help
Interact with experimental mux server

Usage: wezterm cli [OPTIONS] <COMMAND>

Commands:
  list                     list windows, tabs and panes
  list-clients             list clients
  proxy                    start rpc proxy pipe
  tlscreds                 obtain tls credentials
  move-pane-to-new-tab     Move a pane into a new tab
  split-pane               split the current pane.
                               Outputs the pane-id for the newly created pane on success
  spawn                    Spawn a command into a new window or tab
                               Outputs the pane-id for the newly created pane on success
  send-text                Send text to a pane as though it were pasted. If bracketed paste mode
                               is enabled in the pane, then the text will be sent as a bracketed
                               paste
  get-text                 Retrieves the textual content of a pane and output it to stdout
  activate-pane-direction  Activate an adjacent pane in the specified direction
  get-pane-direction       Determine the adjacent pane in the specified direction
  kill-pane                Kill a pane
  activate-pane            Activate (focus) a pane
  adjust-pane-size         Adjust the size of a pane directionally
  activate-tab             Activate a tab
  set-tab-title            Change the title of a tab
  set-window-title         Change the title of a window
  rename-workspace         Rename a workspace
  zoom-pane                Zoom, unzoom, or toggle zoom state
  help                     Print this message or the help of the given subcommand(s)

Options:
      --no-auto-start  Don't automatically start the server
      --prefer-mux     Prefer connecting to a background mux server. The default is to prefer
                       connecting to a running wezterm gui instance
      --class <CLASS>  When connecting to a gui instance, if you started the gui with `--class
                       SOMETHING`, you should also pass that same value here in order for the client
                       to find the correct gui instance
  -h, --help           Print help
proves: Script and control the terminal from the command line — open windows, send text, query state — via a documented CLI or IPC interfacerecorded 2026-09-04
$wezterm --versionreproduced
$ wezterm --version
wezterm 20240203-110809-5046fc22
proves: Use an official CLIrecorded 2026-09-04
$wezterm-mux-server --daemonize && PANE=$(wezterm cli spawn --new-window -- /bin/zsh -l) && wezterm cli send-text --pane-id $PANE --no-paste "echo PA_PROBE_OK" && wezterm cli get-text --pane-id $PANE && wezterm cli listreproduced
$ wezterm-mux-server --daemonize && PANE=$(wezterm cli spawn --new-window -- /bin/zsh -l) && wezterm cli send-text --pane-id $PANE --no-paste "echo PA_PROBE_OK" && wezterm cli get-text --pane-id $PANE && wezterm cli list
echo PA_PROBE_OK%
judegomila@Judes-MBP ~ % echo PA_PROBE_OK

WINID TABID PANEID WORKSPACE SIZE  TITLE CWD
    1     1      1 default   80x24 zsh   file:///Users/judegomila
    0     0      0 default   80x24 zsh   file:///Users/judegomila
proves: Let a coding agent programmatically drive the terminal itself — create panes, run commands, read output — through a documented control protocol or APIproves: Script and control the terminal from the command line — open windows, send text, query state — via a documented CLI or IPC interfacerecorded 2026-09-04

Claims vs evidence — vendor claims reconciled against independent verdictsClaims vs evidence

4 of 10 testable claims verified · 3 contradicted → integrity 0/100

16 distinct capability claims found in WezTerm’s own claimed-docs/GitHub materials, reconciled against our judge’s independent verdicts.

4

Verified

3

Unverified

3

Contradicted

14

Undersold

Verified (5)
Unverified (6)
Contradicted (4)
Undersold (14)
Claims outside our story set (3)

Real capability claims found in WezTerm’s own materials, but no story in this arena’s taxonomy covers them yet — that’s feedback on the taxonomy, not a mark against the product.

  • “Can connect to serial ports for embedded/Arduino development”

    source ↗

  • “Quick Select mode highlights common text patterns for fast keyboard-driven copy”

    source ↗

  • “New tabs inherit the current working directory via OSC 7 so you don't need to manually cd”

    source ↗
Suggest a story for these →

Business model

open-source

Free, MIT-licensed terminal created and maintained by Wez Furlong with community contributors; no paid tiers, donations via GitHub Sponsors.

pricing ↗

Score trend

How this product’s scores have moved as evidence and verdicts are re-derived — a point per change, not per day.

PA Scoretracked since Sep 16 '26 — no movement recorded yet
Agent-readytracked since Sep 16 '26 — no movement recorded yet

Try Experimental

Run it in the microterminal →

Recorded agent sessions — and a live MCP handshake where the vendor ships one.

Flag

⚑ Flag a verdict

Think a verdict is wrong? Opens a prefilled GitHub issue — or use the ⚑ next to any verdict above.

Badge

Embed this product's score badge →

Hotlinked SVG — always shows the live current score.

For agents

This page as markdown/llms.txt

Data

Evidence (JSON)Verdicts (JSON)