New check

Comparison

Kovid's software projects vs iTerm2

Kovid's software projects lands on Depends, and iTerm2 lands on Worth it.

Kovid's software projects

sw.kovidgoyal.net

Depends

Confidence: Low

This is a solo developer's free open-source collection (calibre, kitty), not a commercial product . there is nothing to buy.

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iTerm2

Worth it

Confidence: High

Mac developers who live in the terminal should use it . it is free, feature-rich, and highly rated.

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Kovid's software projects versus iTerm2
Compare	Kovid's software projects	iTerm2
Verdict	Depends	Worth it
Best for	Ebook library management (calibre)	Mac developers running many terminal sessions
Who it's not for	Companies needing vendor support or SLAs	Windows or Linux users . no version exists
Privacy	No known public vulnerabilities found in the sources reviewed; the site's own security URL returns a 404.^²	History of critical vulnerabilities including remote code execution; run 3.6.10+ and download only from.¹³
Support quality	Solo maintainer, community support only	No support evidence in sources
Public sentiment	Direct user reviews are absent; only incidental references to calibre and kitty appear in the sources reviewed.^³	Users praise its flexibility, UI, and feature depth, though some report performance lag compared with newer terminals.^⁷
Biggest gotcha	No SLAs or enterprise terms; you rely entirely on community support^¹	Recurring critical CVEs; 2026 RCE fixed only in 3.6.10 . update immediately¹⁴

Pick Kovid's software projects when

Ebook library management (calibre)
Keyboard-driven terminal users (kitty)
Individuals comfortable with open source

When Kovid's software projects is not a fit

Companies needing vendor support or SLAs
Buyers expecting contracts, pricing, or procurement
Teams needing security documentation for audits
Anyone shopping for a single-vendor commercial product

Pick iTerm2 when

Mac developers running many terminal sessions
SSH-heavy DevOps workflows
Users needing split panes and profiles
Tinkerers who want a Python-scriptable terminal

When iTerm2 is not a fit

Windows or Linux users . no version exists
Casual users fine with built-in Terminal.app
Performance obsessives . Ghostty benchmarks faster
Teams needing vendor support or SLAs

Sources

Kovid's software projects (official site)sw.kovidgoyal.net
official
Product security page (returns 404)sw.kovidgoyal.net
security
Kagi feedback thread referencing kitty.confkagifeedback.org
review
RSSHub changelog feed for Kovid's projectst.me
news
Folo RSS reader listing the site as a feedfolo.is
review
iTerm2 - macOS Terminal Replacementiterm2.com
official
iTerm2 Reviews . G2g2.com
review
iTerm2 Products . G2 seller reviewsg2.com
review
Shall I use iTerm2? . Reddit r/MacOSreddit.com
review
iTerm2 is a great terminal . Hacker Newsnews.ycombinator.com
review
Ghostty vs iTerm2 2026: 3x Throughput, 4x Memory Gaptech-insider.org
review
Ghostty vs iTerm2 . Cross-Platform vs macOSsoloterm.com
review
CVE-2026-41253: iTerm2 RCE . SentinelOnesentinelone.com
security
iTerm2 < 3.6.10 Arbitrary Code Execution . GitHub advisorygithub.com
security
Mac Users Targeted by Trojanized iTerm2 App . Trend Microtrendmicro.com
security
iTerm2 v3.5.1 moves AI features into external plugin . Lobsterslobste.rs
news