GNU Screen Alternatives

GNU Screen is described as 'Enables full-screen terminal session multiplexing, independent windows for processes, VT100 emulation, scrollback, copy-paste, and detachable sessions' and is a popular app in the os & utilities category. There are more than 10 alternatives to GNU Screen for a variety of platforms, including Linux, Mac, Rust, Windows and Nix Package Manager apps. The best GNU Screen alternative is tmux, which is both free and Open Source. Other great apps like GNU Screen are Herdr, Zellij, RMUX and byobu.

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Alternatives
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Alternatives list

  1. tmux icon
     133 likes

    tmux is a terminal multiplexer: it enables a number of terminals (or windows), each running a separate program, to be created, accessed, and controlled from a single screen. tmux may be detached from a screen and continue running in the background, then later reattached.

    20 tmux alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • BSD
    • Cygwin
    Good alternative?
     
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  2. Herdr icon
     18 likes

    Handle multiple coding agents in real terminals with instant status tracking, persistent sessions that survive disconnects, SSH/mobile reattachment, keyboard and mouse controls, plugin support, and lightweight operation as a Rust binary for enhanced workflows.

    31 Herdr alternatives

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Rust
    • Nix Package Manager
    • Homebrew
    Good alternative?
     
  3. Zellij icon
     9 likes

    Zellij is a workspace aimed at developers, ops-oriented people and anyone who loves the terminal. Similar programs are sometimes called "Terminal Multiplexers".

    14 Zellij alternatives

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (MIT)

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Windows
    Good alternative?
     
  4. RMUX icon
     4 likes

    Universal Rust multiplexer for the agentic era: detachable, scriptable, and inspectable, with a tmux-compatible CLI, daemon-backed SDK, and native Ratatui integration.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Windows
    • Linux
    • Rust
    Good alternative?
     
  5. byobu icon
     24 likes

    Byobu is a GPLv3 open source text-based window manager and terminal multiplexer. It was originally designed to provide elegant enhancements to the otherwise functional, plain, practical GNU Screen , for the Ubuntu server distribution.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
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  6.  2 likes

    abduco provides session management i.e. it allows programs to be run independently from their controlling terminal. That is programs can be detached - run in the background - and then later reattached. Together with dvtm it provides a simpler and cleaner alternative to tmux or...

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source (ISC)

    Alerts

    • Discontinued

    Platforms

    • Mac
    • Linux
    • Haiku
    Good alternative?
     
  7.  1 like

    Twin is a windowing environment with mouse support, window manager, terminal emulator and networked clients, all inside a text display.

    Cost / License

    Application type

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  8. mtm icon
     2 likes

    Perhaps the smallest useful terminal multiplexer in the world.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  9. Wemux icon
     3 likes

    wemux - Multi-User Tmux Made Easy.

    Cost / License

    • Free
    • Open Source

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
  10. dtach icon
     7 likes

    dtach is a tiny program that emulates the detach feature of screen, allowing you to run a program in an environment that is protected from the controlling terminal and attach to it later. dtach does not keep track of the contents of the screen, and thus works best with programs...

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
    Good alternative?
     
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  11.  1 like

    shpool is a service that enables session persistence by allowing the creation of named shell sessions owned by shpool so that the session is not lost if the connection drops. shpool can be thought of as a lighter weight alternative to tmux or GNU screen.

    Cost / License

    Platforms

    • Linux
    • Rust
    Good alternative?
     
  12. Get Console icon
     1 like

    Get Console is the first ipad and iphone serial port terminal application providing serial terminal connectivity without jailbreaking. The app store description advises it works on network devices, but offers a standard VT100 emulation.

    Cost / License

    • Paid
    • Proprietary

    Application type

    Platforms

    • iPhone
    • iPad
    Good alternative?
     
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