Alternatives to Byobu

Friendly configuration layer over tmux or GNU Screen. The listings below can replace it for an important use case. Each note says what changes if you switch.

Replacements

Listings that take over the same core job as Byobu.

  • tmux

    Keeps terminal sessions alive on a server after you disconnect, and splits one window into many.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    tmux is the multiplexer Byobu can sit on top of, used directly with its prefix-key model and terse configuration instead of Byobu's function keys and ready status bar.

  • GNU Screen

    A terminal multiplexer that runs several shell sessions in one window and keeps them alive after disconnecting.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    GNU Screen is the other backend Byobu wraps; using it directly keeps detachable sessions but means learning its keyboard-driven interface without Byobu's status bar.

  • Zellij

    A terminal multiplexer that tells you its own shortcuts on screen, so you can use it on day one.

    FreeOpen sourceWindowsmacOSLinuxCommand line

    Zellij shows its own shortcuts on screen, adds floating and stacked panes and runs on Windows, but is not installed by default on servers like tmux and Screen.

Also worth comparing

These listings name Byobu as their own alternative, so the relationship runs both ways.

  • Oh my tmux!

    A self-contained tmux configuration with a feature-rich status line and sensible defaults.

    FreeOpen sourcemacOSLinuxCommand line

    Byobu is a configuration layer over tmux or GNU Screen with a ready status bar and function-key bindings, and it does not need awk or perl.

Similar software

Related functionality, not a direct replacement.