Ghostty vs Kitty: Choosing the Right GPU-Accelerated Terminal
Terminal performance directly impacts DevOps productivity, especially when tailing logs, managing remote sessions, or analyzing large datasets. Ghostty and Kitty represent modern approaches to GPU-accelerated terminals, each with distinct philosophies. Ghostty emphasizes native platform integration and simplicity, while Kitty prioritizes features and extensibility. (ghostty-org/ghostty, kovidgoyal/kitty)
What Are They?
Ghostty is a terminal emulator created by Mitchell Hashimoto (HashiCorp co-founder) that uses platform-native UI components with GPU acceleration. Released as version 1.0 in late 2024, it focuses on zero-configuration defaults and OS integration.
Kitty is an established GPU-accelerated terminal written in C and Python, positioning itself as a "terminal platform" with extensive features and custom protocols. It pioneered the Kitty Graphics Protocol, now adopted by multiple terminals including Ghostty.
Performance Comparison
Benchmarks show Ghostty reads plain text approximately 4x faster than iTerm2 and outperforms Kitty in most tests, though real-world differences are subtle. Kitty delivers exceptional performance through OpenGL rendering across platforms, while Ghostty uses Metal on macOS for optimized native performance.
Both terminals handle intensive workloads—streaming logs, large git diffs, build output—without UI blocking. The async rendering ensures smooth scrolling with minimal input latency, critical when monitoring production systems.
Platform Support
Ghostty:
- macOS: Native support (requires macOS 13+)
- Linux: GTK4/libadwaita-based GUI
- Windows: Not officially supported; runs in WSL environments
Kitty:
- macOS: Full support
- Linux: Full support
- BSD: Supported
- Windows: Not supported natively
Key Differences
Native Integration: Ghostty uses platform-native tabs, splits, and windows. Kitty implements its own window management, offering consistency across platforms but feeling less native.
Configuration: Ghostty employs simple key-value pairs with zero-config defaults. Kitty uses a single human-editable config file with extensive customization options and environment-aware settings.
Ecosystem: Kitty offers "kittens"—supplemental programs for tasks like image viewing, SSH integration, and diff display. Ghostty focuses on core terminal functionality with fewer extensions.
Graphics Protocol: Both support the Kitty Graphics Protocol for image display. Kitty pioneered this standard; Ghostty adopted it for compatibility.
Installation
Ghostty:
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install --cask ghostty
# Linux (Snap)
snap install ghostty
Kitty:
# macOS/Linux (official installer)
curl -L https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/installer.sh | sh /dev/stdin
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install kitty
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install kitty
When to Choose Which
Choose Ghostty if you:
- Prefer native macOS/Linux integration
- Want zero-config defaults that "just work"
- Value simplicity over extensive features
- Need the fastest raw text rendering
Choose Kitty if you:
- Require extensive customization and scripting
- Use kittens for workflow automation
- Need cross-platform configuration consistency
- Want a mature ecosystem with proven stability
Operational Considerations
For SRE teams, both terminals handle production workloads effectively. Kitty's maturity and feature set suit complex workflows with heavy automation. Ghostty's simplicity and performance appeal to teams prioritizing native integration and minimal configuration overhead.
Both support SSH, tmux, and multiplexing without performance degradation. Neither terminal introduces significant resource overhead on modern systems.
Conclusion
Ghostty and Kitty represent different philosophies in GPU-accelerated terminals. Ghostty delivers native integration with exceptional out-of-box experience, while Kitty offers unmatched features and ecosystem maturity. Both excel at core terminal operations; your choice depends on whether you prioritize platform integration or extensibility.
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