Side by side
Alacritty vs Cool Retro Term
Both stand on terminal emulators. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Alacritty offers terminal navigation, search, and multiple windows, with configuration kept in a TOML file. Its beta status and lack of tabs, splits, and a graphical editor are important to weigh.
Visit Alacritty Free plan Open source LinuxMacSelf-hosted
Cool Retro Term pairs a terminal emulator with configurable CRT-inspired appearance options. Check its system-specific installation guidance if you plan to build it yourself.
Visit Cool Retro TermThe facts
| Alacritty | Cool Retro Term | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Yes |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac, Windows | Linux, Mac, Self-hosted |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | alacritty.org | github.com |
| On terminal emulators | #2 of 40 | #1 of 40 |
Alacritty: what it does well
- Free and available for Linux, macOS, Windows, and BSD.
- Vi mode supports navigation, selection, and copying.
- Searches forward and backward through scrollback.
- One instance can run multiple terminal windows.
What to know first
- The project describes it as beta.
- It does not include tabs or split panes.
- It has no graphical configuration editor.
- The TOML configuration file is not created automatically.
Cool Retro Term: what it does well
- Customizable colors, fonts and visual effects.
- Community themes include scanlines, curvature and static noise.
- Release notes list multiple tabs and windows.
- Available as a Linux AppImage and macOS DMG.
- Open-source and free.
What to know first
- Available platforms are Linux and macOS.
- Build requirements differ between the README and Linux build wiki.
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