Windows Terminal
Windows Terminal is a Windows host for command-line shells, including Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash through WSL.
What Windows Terminal is
Windows Terminal is a Windows host for command-line shells, including Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash through WSL. It brings multiple shells into one window with tabs and panes, so you can work with several side by side. Profiles are available for PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure Cloud Shell, WSL distributions, and Git Bash; installed WSL distributions are detected automatically. You can adjust themes, text, colors, backgrounds, and keyboard shortcuts, while GPU rendering supports Unicode and UTF-8 characters. Tabs can be moved into new windows or existing ones. An Azure Cloud Shell profile is included, with an option to save Azure credentials for quicker sign-in. Windows Terminal is free and available through the Microsoft Store, GitHub releases, winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop. The MSIX Store distribution updates automatically, while GitHub installations do not. The unpackaged ZIP supports portable mode, keeping settings and runtime state with the application. It requires Windows 10 version 2004, build 19041, or later.
Good
- Free to use.
- Split panes can show shells side by side.
- Automatically detects installed WSL distributions.
- Supports Unicode and UTF-8 characters.
- Portable mode stores settings beside the application.
Watch out
- Requires Windows 10 version 2004, build 19041, or later.
- GitHub installations do not update automatically.
- Cannot mix administrator and non-administrator shells in one window.
Who it suits
Windows users who work with multiple command-line shells may find the tabs, panes, and shell profiles useful. It also suits people who want to customize the terminal or use WSL and Azure Cloud Shell.
Verdict
Windows Terminal brings several command-line shells together with customizable tabs and panes. Check the Windows requirement and update behavior for your chosen installation method.
Plans and prices
From Windows Terminal's own pricing page, checked 2 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Terminal | Free | Microsoft Store or GitHub distribution · GitHub installation does not automatically update |
The facts
Each one read from Windows Terminal's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Administrator security limit
- Windows Terminal does not support mixing administrator-level and non-administrator shells in tabs within the same window, citing security concerns.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Azure integration
- Windows Terminal includes an Azure Cloud Shell profile and can save Azure credentials for quicker Cloud Shell sign-in.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Users can customize themes, text, colors, backgrounds, and keyboard shortcuts.checked 2 Oct 2026
- GPU acceleration
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Installation
- Windows Terminal is available through the Microsoft Store and GitHub releases, with package-manager options including winget, Chocolatey, and Scoop.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Portable mode
- The unpackaged ZIP distribution supports portable mode, which stores settings and runtime state alongside the application.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Windows Terminal is a host application for command-line shells such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, and bash through WSL.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Rendering and characters
- Windows Terminal supports Unicode and UTF-8 characters and uses the GPU to render text.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Scripting API
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Shell profiles
- It supports command-line applications including PowerShell, Command Prompt, Azure Cloud Shell, WSL distributions, and Git Bash.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Split panes
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- SSH support
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Support and feedback
- The installation guide directs users to troubleshooting documentation and the GitHub page for reporting bugs or requesting features.checked 2 Oct 2026
- System requirements
- The project repository states that Windows Terminal requires Windows 10 version 2004, build 19041, or later.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Tab management
- Users can tear tabs out into new windows and drag tabs into existing windows.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Tabs and panes
- It supports multiple tabs and panes, including running multiple shells side by side.checked 2 Oct 2026
- Updates
- The packaged distribution installed through the MSIX bundle automatically updates through the Store; GitHub installations do not automatically update.checked 2 Oct 2026
- WSL integration
- Windows Terminal automatically detects installed WSL distributions and creates profiles for them.checked 2 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
The company
- Headquarters
- Redmond, Washington, United Stateschecked 23 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- Windowschecked 20 Sep 2026
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