Zellij

Overview

Zellij is a terminal workspace that organizes command-line work into panes, tabs, and named sessions. It suits developers and operations-focused users who want a repeatable workspace while keeping their existing terminal, shell, and editor. Its best case is structured, recoverable terminal work; its boundary is just as clear: it runs inside a terminal rather than replacing one.

Key features

Arrange work and rerun commands

Tiled, floating, and stacked panes cover different ways of keeping concurrent tasks visible, and mouse and keyboard controls let users move and resize them. Command panes expose exit codes and can rerun a command with Enter, which is useful for recurring checks; layouts can also start command panes suspended. These controls add organization, but still depend on a separate terminal emulator.

Build and restore layouts

KDL layouts can specify panes, tabs, commands, and plugins, making a workspace reproducible and shareable rather than something users must assemble by hand each time. Named sessions support switching between contexts, and resurrection restores pane structure and commands, including after a reboot. Persistence is local, so this is a way to recover work on a machine, not a cloud-synchronized workspace.

Browser access and collaboration

The built-in web server provides browser access and supports remote sessions over HTTPS. Authentication is required, and read-only tokens let observers view a session without interacting. The server is off by default and enforces HTTPS for network access, but it has no rate limiting; for untrusted networks, Zellij recommends using a reverse proxy. That makes sharing possible, but it is a deployment choice that warrants security care.

Plugins and existing tools

Plugins run as WebAssembly and can be written in any language that compiles to WASM. Rust users also get an official SDK and scaffolding tools. Zellij works with established terminal emulators, bash, zsh, and fish, and editors such as vim, neovim, emacs, and helix, so adopting it does not require replacing those parts of a workflow.

Pricing

Zellij is free and open source at no cost, with no account required. That makes the core workspace an uncomplicated choice for individual users and teams willing to run it themselves; there is no paid Zellij plan to unlock additional core features.

Zellij.online is a separate commercial hosted session-sharing service with a free tier. It is described as being in closed beta, and its price is custom pricing. Choose it if you want hosted sharing rather than setting up sharing yourself, while keeping in mind that its commercial offering is distinct from the free software.

Platforms

Zellij runs in Linux, macOS, and Windows terminals, and offers browser access. Native Windows support and downloadable Windows binaries are stated, while the browser client provides another way to reach sessions. It is not a terminal emulator, so users need one alongside it.

Who it's for

Zellij is a strong fit for terminal users who juggle several commands, value repeatable layouts, or need to restore a session after a reboot. Its local persistence and compatibility with common shells and editors suit people who want to improve an existing setup rather than move to a new one. Users seeking cloud-backed persistence or an app that replaces their terminal should look elsewhere.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Flexible tiled, floating, and stacked panes support different task arrangements.
• Pros: KDL layouts automate and share setups, while session resurrection restores pane structure and commands after reboots.
• Pros: Browser sharing supports HTTPS access and read-only observers, with authentication required.
• Pros: The maker says Zellij has no ads, telemetry, or data collection and requires no account or online presence.
• Cons: Zellij runs inside a terminal emulator rather than replacing it, so it is not a complete terminal application.
• Cons: Session persistence is local, not cloud-backed.
• Cons: The web server has no rate limiting, so sharing on untrusted networks calls for a reverse proxy.

Alternatives

For readers comparing terminal multiplexers, see Terminal Multiplexers. Okena is another free option, with platforms spanning Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows. muxel is a free and open-source choice for Linux, macOS, and Windows. muxterm is a free, MIT-licensed, self-hosted option distributed as a single binary. p2pmux is a free MIT-licensed option for Linux and macOS. Quil is free, has no paid tier, and has no hosted version; choose it if those constraints fit. Byobu is free for Linux and macOS, and requires tmux ≥ 1.5 and/or GNU Screen. tmux is a free open-source option for Linux, macOS, and self-hosted use. TermStation is another free option, available on Android, Linux, macOS, web, and Windows.

Verdict

Choose Zellij if you want a free terminal workspace that makes panes and layouts reusable and can restore a session locally after a reboot. Its strongest reason to choose it is the combination of flexible organization and session recovery without leaving existing shells and editors. Look elsewhere if you need cloud-backed persistence, a terminal emulator itself, or browser sharing without the care required by its server configuration.