Which is better, Extraterm or Wave Terminal?

Extraterm and Wave Terminal both have strengths. Extraterm is best known for Extraterm is a terminal emulator focused on workflow efficiency. It has a minimal interface allowing …. Wave Terminal excels at Wave Terminal is a modern, fast, lightweight terminal emulator and CLI tool. It provides advanced …. The best choice depends on your specific needs.

What are the main differences between Extraterm and Wave Terminal?

The key differences are in features, pricing, and target audience. Compare them in detail on this page to find which suits your workflow better.

Extraterm vs Wave Terminal (2026): Which Is Better? Honest Comparison

Expert Analysis & Comparison

Extraterm — Extraterm is a terminal emulator focused on workflow efficiency. It has a minimal interface allowing users to arrange terminals spatially and provides advanced tab management and search capabilities.

Wave Terminal — Wave Terminal is a modern, fast, lightweight terminal emulator and CLI tool. It provides advanced features like multiple tabs, split panes, themes, plugins and custom SSH connections in a clean, intui

Extraterm offers Multiple tabs, Tab groups, Search across all tabs, Customizable keyboard shortcuts, Split panes, while Wave Terminal provides Multiple tabs, Split panes, Themes, Plugins, Custom SSH connections.

Extraterm stands out for Very fast and lightweight, Highly customizable, Powerful tab management; Wave Terminal is known for Fast and lightweight, Intuitive interface, Advanced features for power users.

Why Compare Extraterm and Wave Terminal?

When evaluating Extraterm versus Wave Terminal, both solutions serve different needs within the development ecosystem. This comparison helps determine which solution aligns with your specific requirements and technical approach.

Market Position & Industry Recognition

Extraterm and Wave Terminal have established themselves in the development market. Key areas include terminal, emulator, workflow.

Technical Architecture & Implementation

The architectural differences between Extraterm and Wave Terminal significantly impact implementation and maintenance approaches. Related technologies include terminal, emulator, workflow, efficiency.

Integration & Ecosystem

Both solutions integrate with various tools and platforms. Common integration points include terminal, emulator and terminal, emulator.

Decision Framework

Consider your technical requirements, team expertise, and integration needs when choosing between Extraterm and Wave Terminal. You might also explore terminal, emulator, workflow for alternative approaches.

Feature	Extraterm	Wave Terminal
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Development	Development
Target Users	Developers, QA Engineers	QA Teams, Non-technical Users
Deployment	Self-hosted, Cloud	Cloud-based, SaaS
Learning Curve	Moderate to Steep	Easy to Moderate

Product Overview

Extraterm

Description: Extraterm is a terminal emulator focused on workflow efficiency. It has a minimal interface allowing users to arrange terminals spatially and provides advanced tab management and search capabilities.

Type: Open Source Test Automation Framework

Founded: 2011

Primary Use: Mobile app testing automation

Supported Platforms: iOS, Android, Windows

Wave Terminal

Description: Wave Terminal is a modern, fast, lightweight terminal emulator and CLI tool. It provides advanced features like multiple tabs, split panes, themes, plugins and custom SSH connections in a clean, intuitive interface.

Type: Cloud-based Test Automation Platform

Founded: 2015

Primary Use: Web, mobile, and API testing

Supported Platforms: Web, iOS, Android, API

Key Features Comparison

Extraterm Features

Multiple tabs
Tab groups
Search across all tabs
Customizable keyboard shortcuts
Split panes
Themes and custom CSS
SSH connections
SFTP browser
Scriptable with JavaScript

Wave Terminal Features

Multiple tabs
Split panes
Themes
Plugins
Custom SSH connections

Pros & Cons Analysis

Extraterm

Pros

Very fast and lightweight
Highly customizable
Powerful tab management
Great for managing multiple SSH connections
Integrates well into workflows

Cons

Less features than some heavier terminal emulators
Steeper learning curve than basic terminals
More suited for advanced users

Wave Terminal

Pros

Fast and lightweight
Intuitive interface
Advanced features for power users

Cons

Limited customization compared to some terminals
Less plugins than some competitors
SSH features may be lacking for some advanced use cases

Pricing Comparison

Extraterm

Free
Open Source

Wave Terminal

Free
Open Source

Get More Information

Extraterm

Learn More About Extraterm

Wave Terminal

Learn More About Wave Terminal

Extraterm vs Wave Terminal

Expert Analysis & Comparison

Why Compare Extraterm and Wave Terminal?

Market Position & Industry Recognition

Technical Architecture & Implementation

Integration & Ecosystem

Decision Framework

Product Overview

Key Features Comparison

Pros & Cons Analysis

Pros

Cons

Pros

Cons

Pricing Comparison

Get More Information

Learn More About Each Product

Ready to Make Your Decision?

Company

Explore

Resources