Compare software

xterm vs rxvt-unicode: catalog facts
xterm	rxvt-unicode
Free Free to download as source or from distribution packages.	Free Free and open source under the GPL-3.0-only license.
Linux	Linux
Very thorough DEC VT and Tektronix emulation Maintained continuously for decades	Unicode and locale-aware text handling Daemon mode can open multiple windows
Configured through X resources, which is dated and awkward No tabs or split panes	Complex script support is not implemented Right-to-left rendering is not implemented
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-3.0-only
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 8, 2026

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