Side by side
QTerminal vs Rio
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 LinuxMac
QTerminal combines tabbed and split sessions with interface customization and clipboard support. Its documented source-build requirements matter if distribution packages are not the preferred route.
Visit QTerminal
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
Rio offers a broad, free terminal feature set with GPU rendering and several platform targets. Its pre-1.0 status and release-focused security support are important considerations for users who need older-version fixes.
Visit RioThe facts
| QTerminal | Rio | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | Not published | Not published |
| Runs on | Linux, Mac | Linux, Mac, Windows |
| Lowest paid plan | Free or on request | Not published |
| Plans published | 1 | None |
| Maker | Not published | Not published |
| Website | github.com | rioterm.com |
| On terminal emulators | #23 of 40 | #27 of 40 |
QTerminal: what it does well
- Supports multiple tabs and vertical or horizontal splits.
- Includes dropdown mode and text search.
- Offers a configurable interface and shortcut editor.
- Official packages are provided by major Linux and BSD distributions.
What to know first
- Building from source requires Qt 6.6.0 or later.
- Source builds also require QTermWidget, CMake, and lxqt-build-tools.
- libcanberra is needed for terminal bells.
Rio: what it does well
- Free and open source
- Runs across major desktop systems
- GPU acceleration with split panels
- Supports Kitty and iTerm2 images
- TOML configuration reloads automatically
What to know first
- Pre-1.0 project
- Security fixes target latest release
- WebGPU needs a special build
- Some Linux packages lack terminfo
Alternatives to QTerminal Alternatives to Rio The whole list