Best Terminal Multiplexers in 2026
Updated
In short: tmux is ranked #1 of 28 as of 3 October 2026, ahead of Zellij and muxel. The best-ranked option with a free plan is Zellij.
When several terminal sessions need to stay organized, the right multiplexer depends on where you work and how you want sessions and panes to behave. Compared on access platforms, maximum sessions, custom pane layouts, persistence scope and session synchronization, these entries also show collaboration features and plugins or extensions. Free-plan availability and paid starting prices offer cost details to weigh alongside those capabilities. The ranked entries open with tmux and Zellij, followed by muxel and p2pmux; Quil, TUIOS, Okena and Ferrix are also among the names shown. Consider which listed features matter to your setup, whether that means arranging panes, keeping sessions available or coordinating work.
28 terminal multiplexers ranked on what their makers publish — plans and prices, free tiers, platforms and the facts on their own pages.
| # | Platform | Score | Why | From | Free plan | Paid from | Persistence scope | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  tmux | 8.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | local | View |
| 2 | Zellij | 7.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | local | View |
| 3 | muxel | 7.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | both | View |
| 4 | p2pmux | 7.2 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | local | View |
| 5 | Quil | 6.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | local | View |
| 6 |  TUIOS | 6.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 7 | Okena | 6.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | Free | Yes | — | local | View |
| 8 |  Ferrix | 6.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 9 | RMUX | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 10 |  amux | 6.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 11 |  TermStation | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 12 |  Byobu | 6.1 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 13 |  Herdr | 6.0 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 14 |  TermDock | 5.9 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 15 |  openmux | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 16 |  Plux | 5.8 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 17 |  WMUX | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 18 |  Conmux | 5.7 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 19 |  muxterm | 5.6 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 20 |  Terminalz | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 21 |  wtmux | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | — | — | local | View |
| 22 |  psmux | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 23 |  dvtm | 5.5 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | — | View |
| 24 |  Séance | 5.4 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
| 25 |  qmux | 5.3 | RecognisedAPIDocumented | — | Yes | — | local | View |
Is your platform on this list?
Numbered spots on this list can be sponsored. They are labelled, and the editorial order and scores never change for payment.
Questions about this list
Which terminal multiplexer is ranked first on Inferse?
tmux is ranked #1 of 28 with a score of 8.8. Zellij is second and muxel third.
How many of these have a free plan?
6 of the 25 on this page publish a free plan on their own pricing pages.
How is this list ranked?
Ranked on what each maker publishes, open and connectable first: a public API, open-source code, the depth of its documentation and a free tier to try it on. Model lists are sorted by the figure in their title, exactly as each provider publishes it. Paid placements never change a rank.