GNOME Terminal
Terminal emulator software
- Features
- Ease of use
- Ease of management
- Quality of support
- Affordability
- Market presence
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What is GNOME Terminal
GNOME Terminal is a terminal emulator for Unix-like systems that provides access to local shells and command-line tools within the GNOME desktop environment. It targets Linux and BSD users who need an integrated terminal for development, system administration, and general CLI workflows. The application supports tabs, profiles, and common terminal features while aligning with GNOME’s desktop settings and accessibility conventions.
Mature tab and profile model
The product provides tabbed sessions and configurable profiles for different workflows (e.g., different shells, color schemes, or startup commands). It supports common terminal behaviors such as copy/paste, search, and configurable keyboard shortcuts. This covers typical needs without requiring third-party add-ons.
Open-source and widely packaged
GNOME Terminal is open source and distributed through major Linux package managers, which supports reproducible installation and patching. It benefits from community maintenance and distribution-level security processes. Organizations can deploy it without per-seat licensing considerations.
Tight GNOME desktop integration
GNOME Terminal integrates with GNOME settings, theming, and accessibility features, which helps it fit standard enterprise Linux desktop deployments. It supports profiles for per-terminal preferences such as fonts, colors, and command behavior. It is commonly shipped as a default terminal in GNOME-based distributions, which simplifies standardization and user support.
Limited built-in remote tooling
GNOME Terminal focuses on terminal emulation and does not provide an integrated SSH client UI, session manager, or remote connection catalog in the application itself. Users typically rely on external tools (e.g., OpenSSH and shell configuration) for saved hosts, key management workflows, and jump-host patterns. This can increase setup effort for users who want a GUI-driven remote-session experience.
Primarily GNOME-centric UX
The application is designed around GNOME conventions and dependencies, which may be less aligned with non-GNOME desktop environments. While it can run outside GNOME, the experience and integration are not as tailored. Teams standardizing on other desktops may prefer a terminal that is more environment-agnostic.
Fewer advanced terminal features
Compared with some modern terminals, GNOME Terminal offers fewer built-in power-user capabilities such as GPU-accelerated rendering, advanced pane tiling, or extensive plugin ecosystems. Users often combine it with terminal multiplexers (e.g., tmux/screen) to achieve advanced layouts and session persistence. This adds complexity for users who want those features directly in the terminal application.
Plan & Pricing
| Plan | Price | Key features & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Free / Open-source | $0 (free) | Distributed as free/open-source software (source tarballs and source repo available); included in GNOME and many Linux distributions; no paid tiers or commercial plans listed on the official GNOME project pages. |
Seller details
The GNOME Project
1997
Open Source
https://wiki.gnome.org/Apps/Gedit
https://x.com/gnome
https://www.linkedin.com/company/gnome-foundation/
