Tabby vs Windows Terminal
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux.
Open source · MIT
The modern Windows terminal app, plus the original Windows console host, in one repository.
Our verdict
Tabby is a cross-platform terminal that bundles SSH, Telnet and serial connections with saved, organized sessions, so it suits people who manage many remote machines or hardware boards. Windows Terminal is Microsoft's Windows-only tabbed shell host for PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL, and it fits anyone who lives in the Windows command line. Both are free and MIT licensed, so the choice mostly depends on whether you need remote and serial tools or a Windows-native shell window.
Pick Tabby if you juggle many SSH, Telnet or serial device connections and want them saved in one app on Windows, macOS or Linux.
Pick Windows Terminal if you mainly use PowerShell, Command Prompt or WSL on Windows and want a tabbed window that fits the system.
| Key difference | Tabby | Windows Terminal |
|---|---|---|
| Platform | Windows, macOS and Linux | Windows only; macOS and Linux are not supported |
| Remote and hardware access | Built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients, plus Zmodem file transfer | Focused on local shells; no built-in SSH or serial client listed |
| Resource use | README says it is not lightweight in RAM use | Not described as heavy; minimum Windows 10 build 19041 required |
| Updates | Download the app; updates handled by you | Microsoft Store installs update automatically; other routes are manual |
| Best at | Organizing many remote and serial sessions in one app | Official, frequently updated Windows shell experience and reading Windows console source |
Written with AI from both products' catalogue entries · updated 2026-10-29
Who each one is for
Choose Tabby if you need…
- Developers who keep many SSH sessions open and want them saved and organized
- People who connect to serial devices such as embedded boards and need a built-in serial terminal
- Windows users who want PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash or CMD in one tabbed window
- Users who want to transfer files over SSH sessions via Zmodem
Choose Windows Terminal if you need…
- Windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text
- Developers who run PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL side by side
- People who want to read or contribute to the source of Windows' console
- Users who want an app that updates automatically from the Microsoft Store
Side-by-side
| Tabby | Windows Terminal | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | App | App |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 75.3k | 105k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | Download the app | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | C++ |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 6 days ago |
What each one is
Tabby
Tabby is a terminal app you open to run commands on your computer or on remote machines. It combines a terminal emulator with an SSH and Telnet connection manager, a serial terminal for hardware, and a split-pane, tabbed interface. People use it as an alternative to the default Windows terminal, PuTTY, or macOS Terminal.app.
Windows Terminal
Windows Terminal is a tabbed command-line application for Windows that supports multiple shells such as PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL. This repository holds its source code, along with the source for conhost.exe, the original Windows console host that Windows itself is built from. People use it as a more capable replacement for the old Windows console window.
Best for
Tabby
- Developers who keep many SSH sessions open and want them saved and organized
- People who connect to serial devices such as embedded boards and need a built-in serial terminal
- Windows users who want PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash or CMD in one tabbed window
- Users who want to transfer files over SSH sessions via Zmodem
Windows Terminal
- Windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text
- Developers who run PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL side by side
- People who want to read or contribute to the source of Windows' console
- Users who want an app that updates automatically from the Microsoft Store
Strengths
Tabby
- Combines SSH, Telnet and serial clients in one app
- Highly configurable themes, colors and multi-chord shortcuts
- Supports many shells on Windows, including PowerShell, WSL, Git-Bash and CMD
Windows Terminal
- Official Microsoft project with a large community and frequent releases
- Installable from the Microsoft Store with automatic updates
- Source is MIT licensed, so it can be read, modified and reused under those terms
Not ideal for
Tabby
- People who need a very low memory footprint, since the README says Tabby is not lightweight and points to Alacritty or ConEmu for that
- Users who want a new shell or a replacement for MinGW or Cygwin, which the README says Tabby is not
- People who need a terminal that runs only in a browser, although a separate web app exists
Windows Terminal
- Users on Windows 10 builds older than 2004 (build 19041), because the README sets that as the minimum
- People on macOS or Linux, since this is a Windows-specific project
- Anyone who only wants to use the app and has no interest in building source code, which the repo itself is mainly for
Trade-offs
Tabby
- The README states it is not lightweight in RAM usage
- Some features, such as tab completion on Windows, depend on an extra tool (Clink)
- Extra functions come from third-party plugins of varying maintenance status
Windows Terminal
- Installing from GitHub or a package manager means updates are manual, as the README notes
- Building from source requires a Windows development setup and is aimed at contributors rather than casual users
- The README is truncated, so details about build tooling and configuration are not fully visible here
Getting started
Tabby
Download the latest release from the releases page
git clone https://github.com/Eugeny/tabbyWindows Terminal
Install with winget (from the README)
winget install --id Microsoft.WindowsTerminal -eFrequently asked questions
Should I use Tabby or Windows Terminal?
Tabby is a cross-platform terminal that bundles SSH, Telnet and serial connections with saved, organized sessions, so it suits people who manage many remote machines or hardware boards. Windows Terminal is Microsoft's Windows-only tabbed shell host for PowerShell, Command Prompt and WSL, and it fits anyone who lives in the Windows command line. Both are free and MIT licensed, so the choice mostly depends on whether you need remote and serial tools or a Windows-native shell window. Pick Tabby if you juggle many SSH, Telnet or serial device connections and want them saved in one app on Windows, macOS or Linux. Pick Windows Terminal if you mainly use PowerShell, Command Prompt or WSL on Windows and want a tabbed window that fits the system.
What is the difference between Tabby and Windows Terminal?
Tabby: A terminal emulator with built-in SSH, Telnet and serial clients for Windows, macOS and Linux. Windows Terminal: The modern Windows terminal app, plus the original Windows console host, in one repository. Tabby suits developers who keep many ssh sessions open and want them saved and organized, while Windows Terminal suits windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text.
Are Tabby and Windows Terminal free?
Tabby: Free and open source. Windows Terminal: Free and open source.
Is Tabby or Windows Terminal more popular?
Windows Terminal has more GitHub stars (105k) than Tabby (75.3k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Tabby and Windows Terminal?
Other options people compare them with include Files, OmniTools.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.