Side by side
iTerm2 vs LXTerminal
Both stand on terminal apps. Which one you can start free with, which one lets you read the code, and what each costs once you pay.
Free plan Mac
iTerm2 combines terminal search, split panes, shell integration, and scripting features in a free macOS app. Check the macOS version requirement before choosing it.
Visit iTerm2 Free plan Linux
LXTerminal offers tabbed terminal access and command-line configuration on Linux at no charge. Its listed feature set has no split panes, so that limitation matters if you need them.
Visit LXTerminalThe facts
| iTerm2 | LXTerminal | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Mac | Linux |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Free or on request |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | iterm2.com | github.com |
| On terminal apps | #10 of 41 | #38 of 41 |
iTerm2: what it does well
- Free software licensed under GPL v2.
- Supports split panes, SSH, and GPU acceleration.
- Searches within a page and across tabs.
- Python API and tmux integration are documented.
- Password manager stores data encrypted in macOS Keychain.
What to know first
- Available only for macOS.
- Current recommended stable release requires macOS 13 or newer.
- AppleScript scripting is marked deprecated.
LXTerminal: what it does well
- Supports multiple tabs.
- Terminal instances share one process.
- Command-line options set size and working directory.
- Same-named profiles share configuration.
- GPL-2.0 licensed.
What to know first
- Available on Linux only.
- No split panes.
- No free trial.
Alternatives to iTerm2 Alternatives to LXTerminal The whole list