Power-user terminal
Unterm vs iTerm2
iTerm2 is the definitive macOS power terminal; Unterm is cross-platform and built for AI agents to drive.
iTerm2 is a superb, deeply mature macOS terminal — triggers, profiles, a Python scripting API, and years of polish. Its constraints are that it's macOS-only and its automation is a Python API rather than an agent-native surface. Unterm runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows and is built around MCP so LLM agents operate it directly.
| Capability | Unterm | iTerm2 |
|---|---|---|
| Driveable from outside via MCP | ✓ | ✗ |
| Scriptable CLI for every action | ✓ | Python API |
| Built-in AI coding-agent launcher | ✓ ×7 | ✗ |
| Agents auto-wire to the terminal's MCP | ✓ | ✗ |
| Agent Cockpit (Inbox · fleets · review) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Identity profiles (creds per window) | ✓ | ✗ |
| Multi-instance orchestration | ✓ | ✗ |
| Session recording → markdown | ✓ md | ✓ |
| Screenshot + file upload from MCP | ✓ | ~ |
| Select copies, right-click pastes — no menu | ✓ gesture | menu |
| Built-in proxy management | ✓ | ✗ |
| Local-first, no cloud / no login | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI baked inside the terminal | ✓ agent-driven | plugin |
| GPU rendering | ✓ | ✓ |
| macOS + Linux + Windows | ✓ | macOS |
| Open-source client | ✓ MIT | ✓ GPL |
| Native UI languages | ✓ ×9 | en |
| Price | $0 | $0 |
✓ yes · ✗ no · ~ partial · ×N count. The ✗ by design on "AI inside" is the whole thesis: Unterm keeps the AI outside and exposes the terminal as the surface it grips.
Why teams choose Unterm
- ✓ Cross-platform. The same agent-driveable terminal on macOS, Linux, and Windows — iTerm2 is macOS-only.
- ✓ MCP + one-click agents. An MCP server any LLM speaks, a scripting CLI, and one-click install of Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, and Aider auto-wired into their configs.
- ✓ Agent-workflow features. Identity profiles, multi-instance windows, redacted Markdown recording, screen capture, and proxy rotation — aimed at running agents, not just interactive use.
Where iTerm2 is stronger
On macOS, iTerm2 is hard to beat for interactive power use: an enormous, refined feature set, triggers, and a mature Python API, honed over many years. If you're macOS-only and want the deepest hand-driven terminal, iTerm2 is the gold standard.
Bottom line
macOS-only and want the most mature interactive terminal? iTerm2. Want one agent-native terminal across mac, Linux, and Windows that your AI agents drive over MCP? Unterm is built for that.
MIT-licensed · macOS / Linux / Windows · no account, no login.