Brandwave

How popular isGhostty?

In September 2026, people searched for Ghostty by name about 165,000 times worldwide, a 50% increase from the previous year. These searches made up 38.5% of all global terminal emulator searches, placing Ghostty first out of eight emulators. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about terminal emulators, Ghostty appeared in all answers and was the most recommended of the eight.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

Ghostty is the most searched of 8 competitors and the most recommended in AI answers.

  1. GhosttyShare of searches 38.5%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. iTerm2Share of searches 14.1%Mentioned in 3 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  3. Windows TerminalShare of searches 11.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th
  4. WarpShare of searches 9.4%Mentioned in 2 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 7th
  5. WezTermShare of searches 9.4%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd

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Top terminal emulators in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Ghostty appeared in all five answers. Ghostty is the most recommended of the eight.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Ghostty1st
  2. WezTerm2nd
  3. Alacritty3rd
  4. Kitty4th
  5. iTerm25th
  6. Windows Terminal6th
  7. Warp7th
  8. Hyper–

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Ghostty5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Windows Terminal4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • WezTerm4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Alacritty4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • iTerm23 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Kitty3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Warp2 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Hyper0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about terminal emulators

5 answers

Not named in any answer:

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.

Which terminal emulators compete with Ghostty?

Ghostty against terminal emulators worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Ghostty, iTerm2, Windows Terminal, Warp, WezTerm, Alacritty, Kitty. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthGhosttyiTerm2Windows TerminalWarpWezTermAlacrittyKittyHyper
Oct 202528.6%15.7%13.1%12.9%8.6%10.5%8.6%2.1%
Nov 202526.7%17.9%12.2%12%9.8%9.8%9.8%1.9%
Dec 202530.7%16.9%11.5%9.2%9.2%11.3%9.2%1.8%
Jan 202635.9%16.1%11%8.8%10.8%8.8%7.2%1.4%
Feb 202638.6%17.4%9.7%9.5%9.5%7.8%6.4%1.3%
Mar 202643.4%15.9%10.9%7.1%8.7%7.1%5.8%0.95%
Apr 202640%17.9%10%9.8%8%6.6%6.6%1.1%
May 202637%16.7%11.4%11.1%9.1%7.5%6.1%1.2%
Jun 202635.9%16.1%11%10.8%10.8%7.2%7.2%1.2%
Jul 202636.8%13.5%11.3%9%13.5%7.4%7.4%1.2%
Aug 202637.7%13.8%11.5%9.3%11.3%7.6%7.6%1.2%
Sep 202638.5%14.1%11.8%9.4%9.4%7.7%7.7%1.3%

  1. 1.Ghostty

    38.5%

    Held 1st. 165K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.8 points.

  2. 2.iTerm2

    14.1%

    Held 2nd. 60.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.3 points.

  3. 3.Windows Terminal

    11.8%

    Held 3rd. 50.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  4. 4.Warp

    9.4%

    Moved from 5th to 4th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  5. 5.WezTerm

    9.4%

    Moved from 4th to 5th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share -1.9 points.

  6. 6.Alacritty

    7.7%

    Held 6th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  7. 7.Kitty

    7.7%

    Held 7th. 33.1K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  8. 8.Hyper

    1.3%

    Held 8th. 5.4K estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between Ghostty and its closest rivals

Every comparison with Ghostty

7 comparisons

How has branded search demand for Ghostty changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

3 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for Ghostty worldwide rose from 110K to 165K.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghostty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide increased from 28.6% to 38.5%.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghostty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide peaked at 43.4% in March 2026 and was lowest at 26.7% in November 2025.

How did search popularity change for terminal emulators worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, Ghostty gained share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide, from 37.7% to 38.5%.

  2. In September 2026, WezTerm lost share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide, from 11.3% to 9.4%.

  3. Windows Terminal’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 11% to 11.8% in September 2026.

  4. Alacritty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 7.2% to 7.7% in September 2026.

  5. Kitty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide has gained ground for 3 months in a row, from 7.2% to 7.7% in September 2026.

  6. In September 2026, Warp rose from 5th to 4th among terminal emulators worldwide.

How are Ghostty’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Ghostty’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • ghostty

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How the Brand Demand Index is measured

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