Alacritty vs Ghostty:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Ghostty had more branded searches than Alacritty among terminal emulators worldwide. Ghostty had about 165,000 branded searches, while Alacritty had 33,100. Ghostty made up 38.5% of all terminal emulator searches we track, and Alacritty accounted for 7.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about terminal emulators, Ghostty appeared in all five answers and Alacritty in four. Ghostty was mentioned before Alacritty in three out of five answers.
Who do people search for more?
Ghostty, about 5 searches for every 1 for Alacritty
Who does AI mention more?
Ghostty, mentioned in every answer we collected
Who does AI recommend more?
Ghostty, named ahead of Alacritty in 3 of 5 answers
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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. Alacritty was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Ghostty was listed before Alacritty in three out of five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
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
Asked ChatGPT
“Which terminal emulator should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best terminal emulators?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best terminal emulator for a developer workflow?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“terminal emulator”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“linux terminal emulator”
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.
Is Alacritty or Ghostty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Alacritty and Ghostty by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all eight terminal emulators we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Ghostty, Alacritty. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Ghostty | iTerm2 | Windows Terminal | Warp | WezTerm | Alacritty | Kitty | Hyper |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 28.6% | 15.7% | 13.1% | 12.9% | 8.6% | 10.5% | 8.6% | 2.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 26.7% | 17.9% | 12.2% | 12% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 9.8% | 1.9% |
| Dec 2025 | 30.7% | 16.9% | 11.5% | 9.2% | 9.2% | 11.3% | 9.2% | 1.8% |
| Jan 2026 | 35.9% | 16.1% | 11% | 8.8% | 10.8% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 1.4% |
| Feb 2026 | 38.6% | 17.4% | 9.7% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 1.3% |
| Mar 2026 | 43.4% | 15.9% | 10.9% | 7.1% | 8.7% | 7.1% | 5.8% | 0.95% |
| Apr 2026 | 40% | 17.9% | 10% | 9.8% | 8% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 37% | 16.7% | 11.4% | 11.1% | 9.1% | 7.5% | 6.1% | 1.2% |
| Jun 2026 | 35.9% | 16.1% | 11% | 10.8% | 10.8% | 7.2% | 7.2% | 1.2% |
| Jul 2026 | 36.8% | 13.5% | 11.3% | 9% | 13.5% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 1.2% |
| Aug 2026 | 37.7% | 13.8% | 11.5% | 9.3% | 11.3% | 7.6% | 7.6% | 1.2% |
| Sep 2026 | 38.5% | 14.1% | 11.8% | 9.4% | 9.4% | 7.7% | 7.7% | 1.3% |
How has the Alacritty and Ghostty comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Ghostty was ahead of Alacritty in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Alacritty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide moved from 10.5% to 7.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 40.5K to 33.1K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Ghostty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide moved from 28.6% to 38.5%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 110K to 165K.
How did search popularity change for terminal emulators worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
In September 2026, Ghostty gained share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide, from 37.7% to 38.5%.
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.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Alacritty’s and Ghostty’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Other head-to-heads among terminal emulators
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