5 MacOS terminal apps that are better than the default

I regularly use the terminal app on both my MacBook Pro and iMac. Sometimes it’s just to secure shell into one of my Linux machines and other times to take care of a task. Either way, I prefer not to use the default MacOS terminal app. 

First, it’s pretty basic. Second, it doesn’t close when you type exit (which is the standard behavior for most terminal apps). Type exit and then you have to close the app. I think that’s inefficient.

Also: How to close apps in MacOS from the command line

So, I always turn to a different terminal app when on MacOS. If you’re interested in doing the same, I’ve rounded up what I consider to be the five best MacOS terminal applications and I’m certain one of these will perfectly serve your needs.

Let’s get to it.

1. iTerm2

I’m going to start with the best of the bunch. I’ve been using iTerm2 for a long time now and have found it to be everything I need in a terminal app. iTerm2 includes features like split panes, hotkey window, search, autocomplete, copy mode, paste history, instant replay (to recover text that was previously deleted from the terminal), 24-bit color, mouse support, notification center support, profiles, appearance customization, and much more. 

Also: This terminal app uses AI to help you understand the command line

I set iTerm2 with transparency to remind me of using the Linux terminal. Thanks to its split-pane ability, I can use terminal windows side-by-side, without opening a new tab, and jump back and forth between them. This way I can see what’s going on with a single glance. iTerm2 is free and works with MacOS 10.14 or newer (both Intel and Apple Silicon).

2. Kitty

Kitty is a terminal app that’s available for both Linux and MacOS. Kitty supports modern features like graphics, unicode, true-color, OpenType ligatures, mouse interactions, focus tracking, and bracketed paste. One of Kitty’s best features is kittens, which extend the built-in feature set. For example, you can view remote images in Kitty with the help of the icat kitten. Say you want to view an image of a kitty in Kitty, you could run the command: 

kitty +kitten icat https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cd/Stray_kitten_Rambo002.jpg/220px-Stray_kitten_Rambo002.jpg

The image of the kitty would appear in the Kitty window. Kitty is free to install and use on MacOS.

3. Warp

Warp has become my go-to when I need a combination of the terminal app and artificial intelligence (AI). I sometimes use AI for research purposes and it’s nice to have it baked into a terminal. 

Also: The first 5 Linux commands every new user should learn

However, the AI with Warp isn’t what you think it is. Instead, it’s a means of better understanding commands or code. Sometimes, when I’m working on Python code, I’ll come across a line or block I don’t quite understand. I can paste that code into the Warp terminal and it will explain to me what’s going on. 

For those who like the idea of using the terminal in MacOS, this technique is a great way to learn the ins and outs of how it all works. When you find a command you need to use, paste it into Warp and let it explain everything. You can also ask Warp in plain language how to do something via the command line. Warp also includes features like split panes, git integration, workflows, themes, and more. You can use Warp for free, but you’ll need to purchase a monthly plan to get support and more business-centric features.

4. Hyper

This is an electron-based terminal app built with HTML, CSS, and JS. Hyper is highly configurable but does require editing a text file to make any changes. Even though you’ll find a Settings entry in the menu, all that option does is open the configuration file in your default web browser. Because of that issue, I suggest this terminal is for more advanced users. 

Also: The best Linux distros for beginners

From the configuration file, you can change the look and feel of the terminal app, the shell, the size, split panes, auto-fill, dictation, emoji & symbol support, and more. You can also install extensions for Hyper. However, that process requires using the Node.js package manager, npm, which is yet another reason why I would only recommend this app for advanced users. You can install and use Hyper for free on MacOS.

5. Core Shell

Core Shell is a terminal window dedicated to making SSH easier. At the same time, it’s also a full-featured terminal app, so even if you don’t frequently (or ever) use SSH, this terminal app can still serve you with features like OpenSSH compatibility, download and upload files, MacOS Keychain integration, per-host advanced options, auto-reconnect, theming, tags — and those are just the free features. 

Also: Sparky Linux is a blazing-fast distro that can keep your older machines running for years

You can also purchase a premium license and add unlimited connections, import/export, host/tag syncing between your MacOS computers, script support, and prioritized customer support. The premium license costs $9.99 for a one-year license or $29.99 for a four-year license. One thing to remember is the App Store version of Core Shell differs from the Codinn version as only the latter includes the local terminal, so make sure you install the version from the official website.

And there you have it — five terminal apps for MacOS that are considerably better than the default. Give one of these tools a try and see if your selection doesn’t quickly win you over.