rxvt-unicode vs Alacritty

Struggling to choose between rxvt-unicode and Alacritty? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

rxvt-unicode is a Os & Utilities solution with tags like terminal, emulator, unicode, x11.

It boasts features such as Unicode support, Tabs, Alpha and background transparency, Customizable look and feel and pros including Lightweight and fast, Highly customizable, Supports multiple tabs, True color and Unicode support.

On the other hand, Alacritty is a Development product tagged with fast, crossplatform, opengl, simple, performant, compatible, hardware-acceleration.

Its standout features include GPU-accelerated terminal emulator, Uses OpenGL for rendering, Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux), Configuration stored in YAML file, Supports true color, Mouse scrolling, Unicode support, Customizable key bindings, and it shines with pros like Very fast rendering, Low memory usage, Smooth scrolling, Extensive configuration options, Actively developed and maintained.

Feature	rxvt-unicode	Alacritty
Overall Score	N/A	1
Primary Category	Os & Utilities	Development

Product Overview

rxvt-unicode

Description: rxvt-unicode is a customizable terminal emulator for X Window System. It is a fork of the well-known terminal emulator rxvt. Key features include Unicode support, tabs, alpha and background transparency, as well as other options that allow you to customize the look and feel.

Alacritty

Description: Alacritty is a fast, cross-platform, OpenGL terminal emulator. It focuses on simplicity, performance, and compatibility. Alacritty supports hardware acceleration for faster rendering and reduced power usage.

Key Features Comparison

rxvt-unicode Features

• Unicode support
• Tabs
• Alpha and background transparency
• Customizable look and feel

Alacritty Features

• GPU-accelerated terminal emulator
• Uses OpenGL for rendering
• Cross-platform support (Windows, macOS, Linux)
• Configuration stored in YAML file
• Supports true color
• Mouse scrolling
• Unicode support
• Customizable key bindings

Pros & Cons Analysis

rxvt-unicode

Pros

• Lightweight and fast
• Highly customizable
• Supports multiple tabs
• True color and Unicode support

Cons

• Steep learning curve for configuration
• Less features than some alternatives
• Can have rendering issues with some fonts

Alacritty

Pros

• Very fast rendering
• Low memory usage
• Smooth scrolling
• Extensive configuration options
• Actively developed and maintained

Cons

• Limited built-in features compared to other terminals
• Steep learning curve for configuration
• Lacks some convenience features like tabs or splits
• Requires GPU support

Pricing Comparison

rxvt-unicode

• Open Source

Alacritty

• Open Source