Both are Electron-based and cross-platform. The similarities end there.
Tabby (formerly Terminus) and yaw share a foundation — both are Electron-based terminals that run on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Both have SSH support and modern UIs. But they differ in philosophy: Tabby is plugin-driven and highly customizable, while yaw ships with connections, databases, and AI built in.
| Feature | Yaw | Tabby |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Price | Free | Free (open source) |
| SSH connections | Built-in manager | Via plugin |
| Database connections | 6 types built-in | No |
| AI assistant | 9 providers (BYOK) | No |
| Plugin system | No | Yes (extensive) |
| Serial/Telnet | No | Yes |
| SFTP | No | Yes (via plugin) |
| Credential sync | Local only (AES-256-GCM) | Tabby Web (optional cloud) |
| Built-in file editor | Yes | No |
| Telemetry | None | Optional |
| Open source | No | Yes (MIT) |
Tabby is open source and extensible. Its plugin system lets you add SSH, serial port support, Telnet, and more. If you need a terminal that you can deeply customize and extend, Tabby gives you that flexibility. It also supports SFTP file transfers through a plugin, which yaw does not.
Tabby has a strong community and active development. Being MIT-licensed matters to some users and organizations.
Tabby's SSH support comes through a plugin. Yaw's connection manager is a core feature — SSH alongside PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, and Redis. You do not install or manage plugins. This also means the connection experience is tighter: connections integrate with the command palette, tags, and broadcast mode.
Yaw has a built-in AI assistant supporting 9 providers with bring-your-own-key. It sees your terminal output and can help with errors, commands, and debugging. Tabby has no native AI support.
Choose Tabby if you want an open-source terminal with a plugin ecosystem, need serial port or Telnet support, or prefer a tool you can deeply customize and extend.
Choose yaw if you want connections, databases, a file editor, and AI built in without managing plugins. If you work with both servers and databases and want one integrated tool, yaw covers more ground out of the box.
Try yaw on Windows
Free, no account required. Install from PowerShell:
irm https://yaw.sh/install-win.ps1 | iex