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picocom vs minicom: catalog facts
picocom	minicom
Free Free and open source under the GPL-2.0-or-later license.	Free Free and open source.
Linux, Command line	Linux, Command line
Minimal serial terminal Useful for communicating with connected devices	Works in a plain text console Long-established tool for serial consoles
Focused on serial connections	Text interface with keyboard menus only Aimed at Linux and Unix systems
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: GPL-2.0-or-later	License: GPL-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	No account needed
Not stated if it works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.