Hyper vs Kitty:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Kitty had more branded searches than Hyper among terminal emulators worldwide. Kitty had about 33,100 branded searches, while Hyper had 5,400. Kitty made up 7.7% of all terminal emulator searches we track, and Hyper accounted for 1.3%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about terminal emulators, Kitty appeared in three of the five answers and Hyper in none.
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Top terminal emulators in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Kitty was mentioned in three out of five: in one of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. Hyper did not appear in any of the 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 Hyper or Kitty more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Hyper and Kitty 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 Kitty, Hyper. 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 Hyper and Kitty comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Kitty was ahead of Hyper in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hyper’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide moved from 2.1% to 1.3%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 8.1K to 5.4K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Kitty’s share of searches among terminal emulators worldwide moved from 8.6% to 7.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 33.1K.
How did search popularity change for terminal emulators worldwide in September 2026?
2 changes
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.
Estimated monthly branded searches for Hyper worldwide fell 33.3% over 12 measured months, from 8.1K to 5.4K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
2 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Hyper’s and Kitty’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.
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