kitty

What it is for

kitty is a GPU terminal: you split a vim kitty.rs pane next to a git log on master, and the app is $0 (open source). Use it when the job is a local terminal you run at $0, not when you need a hosted $20 agent seat.

Soft-note: OSS $0. We do not invent a paid Cloud $. Distinct from Ghostty, WezTerm, and Warp.

What makes it unique: the cover is kitty’s official split still (left vim on kitty.rs / placement / scroll, right git log on master with Kovid Goyal commits, green status / branch chip) from screenshot.png — not a wordmark. The git log pane itself is ops of the split.

Key features

• Split panes — vim left + git log right (cover still; overview). One desk. Cover kitty.rs sits here.
• Editor pane — placement / scroll / copy-to-clipboard in vim (cover). A pane, not a Cloud tile.
• Git pane — master commits by Kovid Goyal (cover). A log, not a $0 meter.
• Status / branch — the green footer and master chip (cover). Chrome, not Get Started.
• Kittens — icat, hints, remote control (kittens). Helpers, not a seat.
• GPU renderer — documented OpenGL path (quickstart). A renderer, not Warp.

No cover control is a pricing CTA. There is no printed Cloud $ to keep in Pricing.

Who it's for

Best fit: developers who will stay on OSS at $0 while they open a first vim + git split, then keep kitty beside WezTerm rather than paying Warp for a hosted prompt.

Pricing

Verified 2026-10-23 (Asia/Shanghai) from sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty + github.com/kovidgoyal/kitty. Soft-note: OSS $0.

• kitty — $0. Binary / source from the docs and GitHub.
• Paid Cloud — none printed. Do not invent a $.

Confirm the license on the repo before you ship a binary you did not build.

Limitations / costs

• There is no hosted team SKU. You run the binary.
• A GPU split, not Ghostty’s four-way macOS grid. For that grid see Ghostty. Distinct from WezTerm.
• You configure it in kitty.conf. There is no visual theme store on the cover.

Alternatives

• Ghostty — a native GPU terminal when you want MIT $0 and a four-way fastfetch split, not kitty’s vim + git log.
• WezTerm — a GPU terminal when you want Lua config and get_shell in the title bar, not this split.
• Warp — a hosted prompt when you want that seat, not master on a local git pane.

Official tutorial

We searched for an official kitty YouTube channel before writing this. Kovid hosts Watch kitty in action! as a first-party mp4 on the docs (intro_vid) — not YouTube. Community YouTube setups are third-party; we do not embed them as officialVideo. Use the docs video + Quickstart.

Website

https://sw.kovidgoyal.net/kitty/

Source

Catalog row curated for AI Tools Nav. Cover is kitty’s official screenshot.png (vim kitty.rs + git log master). Dollars: OSS $0; no printed Cloud $. Official walkthrough is the docs mp4, not YouTube.

Last verified

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