MXterm Pro vs iTerm2 Comparison
Stay with iTerm2 if you want a free, mature Mac terminal with tmux integration, shell integration, triggers and a Python API. Look at MXterm Pro if you also run several AI coding agents and remote servers and want them in one workspace. It is an alternative for that job, not a drop-in replacement.
iTerm2 details come from iterm2.com and were checked in September 2026. MXterm Pro cells describe release 1.1.11 and were checked against its source code.
Stay with iTerm2 if
- You attach to tmux with tmux -CC, which iTerm2 integrates natively and MXterm Pro does not.
- You script the terminal with its Python API or use triggers that fire when output matches a pattern.
- You depend on shell integration, marks, the hotkey window or tagged profiles.
- You want a free open source terminal and do not run several agents or servers from it.
Try MXterm Pro if
- You run several agent CLIs at once and want them in one window, in a room, each in its own worktree.
- You keep SSH hosts and remote files next to your terminals and prefer not to run a separate SFTP app.
- You want to drive another Mac's MXterm from this one over Tailscale or a local network, using Machines.
- You also need a Windows x64 build and accept that it is unsigned.
Where MXterm Pro is different
Both apps split a tab into panes. MXterm Pro adds a saved SSH host list with jump hosts, an SFTP panel docked beside each SSH tab, and a server bar showing uptime, CPU, RAM and disk. The bar works on Linux servers with python3 only. It can save you opening a separate file client for routine remote edits.
Running more than one AI agent at once
iTerm2 has its own AI Chat: a chat window with a model you configure, which can be given permission to run commands or write files. MXterm Pro ships no model. It runs the agent CLIs you already use, such as Claude Code, Codex and Gemini CLI, each in a real PTY pane.
The Control Room (formerly War Room) puts those panes in a shared room. Agents message each other and reserve files, and you steer from a moderator box. Reservations are advisory, so nothing blocks a write. Turn on a git worktree per agent to keep their edits in separate folders.
Walkthroughs: run Claude Code and Codex in a split terminal and isolate agents with git worktrees. For a three-way view with MobaXterm, read the full comparison. The MobaXterm side has its own page: MXterm Pro vs MobaXterm.
Trying MXterm Pro from iTerm2
- Install the .dmg from the download page. It is a universal build for macOS 10.15 or later, signed and notarized, and it sits beside iTerm2 without changing it.
- Press ⌘T, choose a folder and set how many panes to open. Free has no pane limit. ⌘D and ⇧⌘D split the focused pane, and ⌘F searches its buffer.
- Set the look in Settings. The default theme, iTerm2 Pro, uses iTerm2's factory palette. There are 10 dark theme presets, plus a custom font and a minimum text contrast option.
- Open ⇧⌘H and use Import on your ~/.ssh/config. It reads Host, HostName, User, Port and the first IdentityFile of each entry. It skips wildcard blocks and does not read ProxyJump, so set a jump host by hand where you need one. Imported hosts land in a group named Imported.
- Remap keys under Settings, then Shortcuts. Seventeen actions can change; zoom and tab switching stay fixed.
- On macOS, iTerm2 profiles import: open the Session Manager (⇧⌘O), choose the Import / Export tab and click Find profiles on this Mac. A profile with a plain ssh command becomes an SSH host in a group named iTerm2, and a profile with a folder becomes a Saved Session. Colors, fonts, key maps, triggers, startup commands and window arrangements do not come across. The Session Manager also keeps your MXterm layouts (⇧⌘S saves the current one), and it can export them as .mxterm-session.json files.
Limits and caveats
The Free limits are 5 saved SSH hosts, 2 Control Room members per room, 1 Control Room with members at a time, 1 saved Machine, 1 other paired computer that can control this one (the MXterm phone app is not counted) and 5 shared panes at once. Free has no pane limit. mxterm.net can override the numbers for the other limits, and offline the app uses its last answer or the built-in defaults. Pro lifts them, adds My Devices and a Standing (non-expiring) access password, and is a one-time purchase from $29 for 3 devices, as of September 2026.
Windows x64 is a real installer but is not Authenticode signed, so SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Some features are macOS only, including Claude plan limits in the Token Meter and click-to-pane notifications.
A pane is as powerful as the shell behind it, and giving an agent a pane gives it real shell access. Bypass permissions is optional and off by default. The command guardrail asks before 11 destructive patterns typed in a pane but does not cover Control Room deliveries. Worktrees reduce collisions; they do not prevent bad edits.
After a relaunch every pane starts a new shell, so running processes and scrollback are not restored. On macOS, Claude Code and omp panes reopen their exact conversation, and Codex opens its picker. Closing the last window quits the app. MXterm Pro is also a much younger product than iTerm2.
The SFTP panel is one remote pane with no local side, and it appears only in SSH tabs. Saved passwords sit in the OS keychain but are not typed for you: enter the password once in the terminal and the file panel reuses that session.
Questions people ask
Is MXterm Pro an iTerm2 replacement?
Only for some people. It covers split panes, tabs, search and themes, but it has no tmux control mode, no Python API, no triggers, no shell integration and no hotkey window. If you rely on any of those, keep iTerm2. The two apps install side by side, so you can try MXterm Pro first.
What does each app cost?
iTerm2 is free and licensed under GPL v2, according to iterm2.com. MXterm Pro has a Free tier with fixed limits. Pro is a one-time purchase with no subscription: Solo is $29 for 3 devices and Max is $199 for 100 devices, as of September 2026. Licenses do not expire. The app verifies them on your machine and re-checks online about once a day.
Can I use tmux in MXterm Pro?
You can run tmux inside a pane, because each pane is a real PTY. What you do not get is iTerm2's tmux integration, where tmux windows appear as native windows and panes. If you attach to tmux with tmux -CC today, that workflow stays in iTerm2.
Does iTerm2 have AI features?
Yes. Its documentation describes an AI Chat window backed by a model provider you configure. A chat can be allowed to run commands, control the terminal or write files, and orchestration chats can reach all sessions. MXterm Pro takes another route: it ships no model and runs the agent CLIs you install.
Can I import my iTerm2 profiles or colors?
Partly. On macOS, the Session Manager has an Import / Export tab that reads your iTerm2 profiles, and a profile JSON export can be dropped in on any platform. A profile that runs a plain ssh command becomes a saved SSH host with its name, host, port, user, key file and jump host. A profile with a working folder becomes a Saved Session that opens a plain shell in that folder. Startup commands, color presets, fonts, key maps, tags, triggers and window arrangements do not import. Its default theme, iTerm2 Pro, uses iTerm2's factory palette, so the look starts familiar. Fonts, size and contrast are set in Settings, and shortcuts are remapped under Settings, then Shortcuts.
Does MXterm Pro run on Windows?
Yes, as a Windows x64 installer, but it is not Authenticode signed, so SmartScreen shows Unknown publisher. Several features are macOS only, including Claude plan limits in the Token Meter. iTerm2 runs on macOS only.
Which shortcuts will feel familiar?
Splits use ⌘D and ⇧⌘D, find is ⌘F, and ⌘1 to ⌘8 switch tabs. Seventeen actions can be remapped in Settings, as long as the shortcut is a modifier plus a letter. Zoom, tab switching and a few other keys are fixed.
Try MXterm Pro free
Free has no pane limit and includes 5 saved SSH hosts, 2 Control Room members per room and 1 saved Machine.
Ask AI about MXterm Pro
Open a live answer in ChatGPT, Claude or Perplexity, based on this page. The assistant writes it, not us, so check the sources it cites.
Question sentHow does MXterm Pro compare with iTerm2, and where does iTerm2 fit better?