iTerm2

What it is for

iTerm2 is a macOS terminal: you split vim input.c beside a tsch compile pane, read the tmux pointer warnings, and the app is $0 (GPL-2.0 donationware). Use it when the job is a local Mac terminal you start at a public $, not when you need Warp’s Free $0 agent seat only.

Soft-note: Free (donationware / GPL) at iterm2.com + github.com/gnachman/iTerm2. Distinct from Warp, WezTerm, and kitty.

What makes it unique: the cover is iTerm2’s official split_panes screenshot (vim input.c | tsch tmux warnings, native traffic lights) from the iTerm2 site — not a wordmark. The left input.c pane itself is ops of split panes.

Key features

• Split panes — vim left + tsch right (cover still; iterm2.com). One desk. Cover input.c sits here.
• vim buffer — struct input_cell / ACS / DECSET (cover). A buffer, not a Cloud tile.
• Compile pane — tmux const char * warnings (cover). A pane, not a $0 meter.
• Native macOS chrome — traffic lights + vim / tsch titles (cover). Chrome, not Donate.
• Search / Find — documented pane search (documentation). Find, not Get iTerm2.
• Profiles — per-profile colors / keys (documentation). A profile, not a seat.

Donate / Download are CTAs (not desks). There is no printed paid SKU to keep in Pricing.

Who it's for

Best fit: Mac users who will stay on the GPL binary at $0 while they split a first vim + compile pane — not Warp Build $20 first unless they want a hosted agent, and not a Linux-only build (there isn’t one).

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) from iterm2.com plus github.com/gnachman/iTerm2 (license.spdx_id GPL-2.0). Soft-note: $0 donationware.

• iTerm2 — $0. Download from the site. Optional donation button on iterm2.com.
• Paid Cloud — none printed. Do not invent a $.

Limitations / costs

• macOS-only. There is no Windows or Linux iTerm2.
• A terminal, not Warp’s hosted prompt. For that seat see Warp.
• Donationware. The binary is free; Donate is not a required SKU.

Alternatives

• Warp — an agentic terminal when you want Free $0 / Build $20, not iTerm2’s vim + tsch split.
• WezTerm — a GPU terminal when you want OSS $0 across platforms, not a Mac-only split.
• kitty — a GPU terminal when you want a vim + git split, not iTerm2’s tmux warning pane.

Official tutorial

We searched @iterm2 (404), @iTerm2 (404), and @gnachman (200; uploads we resolved are Sparky dog clips and Ziga howto — not an iTerm2 product how-to). We do not embed them as officialVideo.

Written path: iterm2.com plus documentation and github.com/gnachman/iTerm2.

Website

https://iterm2.com/

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is iTerm2’s official split_panes still (vim input.c + tsch tmux warnings). Dollars: $0 donationware / GPL-2.0. No official product how-to YouTube at check (@iterm2 404; @gnachman is dog/Ziga). GitHub: gnachman/iTerm2.

Last verified

2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) editorial check.