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) |
| Click to move cursor | Yes | No |
| SSH connections | Built-in manager | Via plugin |
| Database connections | 5 engines built-in | No |
| AI assistant | 9 providers (bring your own key) | No |
| Plugin system | No | Yes (extensive) |
| Serial/Telnet | No | Yes |
| SFTP | No | Yes (via plugin) |
| Credential sync | Local only (encrypted on disk) | 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 first-class feature - SSH sessions and five database engines (Postgres, MySQL, SQL Server, MongoDB, Redis) in one interface. No plugins to install or update. Because connections are a core part of yaw, they integrate deeply with the command palette, tagging system, and broadcast mode for multi-server commands.
Yaw includes an AI assistant that reads your terminal context and responds inline. You choose from nine providers - Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, Grok, or run fully offline with Ollama - each using your own API key. Tabby has no native AI support.
Yaw restores your tabs, panes, and layout when you reopen the app - picking up where you left off without manual reconfiguration. Tabby supports profile-based recovery but does not restore full session state in the same way.
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.
Published by Yaw Labs.