# Paneflow vs Ghostty

> Paneflow coordinates coding-agent work: panes, branches, diffs, and MCP context in one workspace. Ghostty is a fast, native terminal emulator with deep protocol support. Choose Paneflow when orchestration is the problem; choose Ghostty when the terminal itself is the problem.

URL: https://paneflow.dev/compare/ghostty
Raw Markdown: https://paneflow.dev/compare/ghostty.md
Last updated: 2026-07-02

## Highlights

### Track multiple agents in one place

Paneflow launches up to 16 CLI agents in dedicated panes and shows which ones are working or waiting for your input. Ghostty can run those CLIs, but it treats them like any other process.

### Give your agents the context of other panes

Paneflow's read-only MCP server (list_panes, read_pane, search_pane) lets an agent inspect logs or test output from another pane. Ghostty has no MCP server or agent-session layer.

### Review your diffs without leaving the workspace

Paneflow shows worktree diffs in-app and can launch an agent review in a pane. Ghostty stays focused on terminal emulation, protocols, windowing, and native UI.

## The important differences

Both are GPU-accelerated and free. The difference is the layer they own: Paneflow organizes agent work above the terminal; Ghostty makes the terminal itself excellent.

| Topic | Paneflow | Ghostty |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Workspace for coding agents | General-purpose terminal emulator |
| License | GPL-3.0-or-later | MIT |
| Language / UI | Rust + GPUI | Zig + native UI (SwiftUI on macOS, GTK4 on Linux) |
| Rendering | GPU-native (Vulkan / Metal) | GPU-accelerated (Metal on macOS, OpenGL on Linux) |
| Platforms | Linux, macOS, Windows | Linux + macOS (no official Windows) |
| Coding agents | 16 CLI launchers + status tracking | Run as any process; no agent features |
| MCP server (agents read your panes) | Yes (read-only) | No |
| In-app diff + agent review | Yes | No |
| Workspace restore | Restores panes, layouts, history, working directories | Can restore window state; no detach/reattach |
| Inline images (Kitty graphics) | No | Yes |
| Embeddable core | No | Yes (libghostty: macOS, Linux, Windows, WASM) |

Versions: Paneflow v0.7.6 (July 2026). Ghostty v1.3.1 tag (March 2026). GitHub star counts are intentionally omitted because they change daily. Both free: Paneflow GPL-3.0-or-later, Ghostty MIT.

## Which tool should you use?

Choose based on what structures your work: your coding agents, or the terminal itself.

### Choose Paneflow if

- You run multiple coding agents and want to see who is working and who is waiting
- You want your agents to read other panes over MCP and review diffs in the app
- You want branches, dev servers, diffs, and sessions grouped per task
- You want your workspace to restore panes, layouts, and history between sessions

### Choose Ghostty if

- You want the fastest, most polished general-purpose terminal with native UI
- You rely on terminal standards like the Kitty graphics protocol and advanced VT features
- You prefer minimal, zero-config tools and don't need agent tracking or MCP
- You want Quick Terminal, scrollback search, and rich clipboard support

## Frequently asked questions

### Is Paneflow a fork of Ghostty?

No. Ghostty is written in Zig with its own renderer and native UI layers. Paneflow is Rust on Zed's GPUI engine with upstream alacritty_terminal. Paneflow does not embed libghostty and shares no source code with Ghostty.

### Are Paneflow and Ghostty even in the same category?

They overlap less than the other comparisons here. Ghostty is a terminal emulator: fast, native, and protocol-rich. Paneflow is an agent workspace: launchers, status tracking, MCP pane reading, and diff review. This page exists because both live near the terminal, but they solve different layers of the workflow.

### Does Ghostty have splits and session management?

Ghostty has native splits, tabs, and window-state restore. It is not a tmux-style session manager: no detach/reattach, and it does not keep processes alive after closing. Paneflow restores workspace context such as panes, layouts, working directories, and history, but it also does not keep closed processes alive.

### Does Ghostty have AI or MCP integration?

No. Ghostty focuses on terminal fundamentals: protocols, windowing, search, clipboard behavior, shell integration, and native UI. It ships no agent launchers, no agent status tracking, and no MCP server. Paneflow adds those workflow features around real terminal panes.

### What does Ghostty do better than Paneflow?

A lot, as a terminal. Ghostty is fast, implements modern terminal protocols such as Kitty graphics and OSC 133 semantic prompts, has native UI on macOS and Linux, includes Quick Terminal, and exposes an embeddable core through libghostty. If you do not need agent orchestration, Ghostty is probably the better everyday terminal.


## Pick the layer you need

Want a workspace that launches and tracks your coding agents? Download Paneflow or read the getting-started guide. Want a fast, minimal everyday terminal? Discover Ghostty.