Byobu

Mac · Linux

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Freedom report

Two barsScore 6.4

Free tierA free tier is on its own pricing page
Open codeNo open-source code on record
Runs widely2 of 6 device platforms
DocumentedPlans, terms and facts published

Byobu is ranked #7 of 28 in terminal multiplexers on Freedom251. It runs on Linux, macOS. There is a free plan.

Byobu plans and pricing

All plans

Byobu Free GPLv3 open source · Requires tmux ≥ 1.5 and/or GNU Screen byobu.org · 4 Oct 2026

Compared on terminal multiplexers

Free plan: Yes
Persistence scope: local
Custom pane layouts: Yes
Access platforms: Linux, BSD, macOS, terminal/CLI

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The record

Purpose: Byobu is a text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer that wraps tmux or GNU Screen with keybindings, status notifications, profile management, and split-pane layouts.
Keybindings: Function-key shortcuts manage windows, split panes, scrolling, detaching, and other actions without requiring a prefix key.
Status bar: Its two-line status bar can show CPU, memory, disk, network, battery, load, time, and other system information, with items independently toggleable.
Pane management: Users can create, rename, reorder, split, zoom, and synchronize windows and panes.
Scrollback: Each window supports up to 10,000 lines of scrollback history.
Session persistence: Users can detach and reattach to sessions while their windows, processes, and history survive.
Configuration: An interactive F9 menu lets users toggle status notifications, change keybinding sets, select profiles, and switch backends.
Layouts: Users can save and restore split-pane layouts, and define repeatable window sets in configuration files.
Backends: Byobu supports tmux and GNU Screen, defaults to tmux when available, and lets users switch backends with byobu-select-backend.
Integrations: Byobu integrates with tmux and GNU Screen as backends and can display system indicators including network, Wi-Fi, battery, updates, RAID status, and custom scripts.
Platforms and dependencies: The site says Byobu works on most Linux, BSD, and macOS distributions and requires tmux version 1.5 or later and/or GNU Screen.
License: Byobu is GPLv3-licensed open-source software hosted on GitHub.
Support: Support is largely volunteer-led; users can report bugs on GitHub Issues and ask questions on StackExchange.
Audience: The project was originally created to add enhancements to GNU Screen for Ubuntu server users and now describes itself as a terminal enhancement layer for Linux, BSD, and macOS.
Price from: Free

Where it ranks on Freedom251

Best Terminal Multiplexers in 2026#7 of 28

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Sources

byobu.org· checked 4 Oct 2026