# Warp Alternatives 2027: 9 Paid, Free & Open-Source

Source: https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/warp-terminal/
Prices checked: 2026-11-14 (Zekai Price Ledger)

The best Warp alternatives in 2027 are Claude Code (best overall, $20/mo), Gemini CLI (best free plan) and Wave Terminal (best open source, Apache-2.0). Warp itself starts at $20/mo. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on 14 Nov 2026; 6 more are compared below, including 2 with a free plan and 4 open source.

| Tool | Type | Starting price | Free plan limit | Licence | Best for | Price checked | Links |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warp (the tool being replaced) | — | $20/mo | Terminal free; agent usage pay-as-you-go; limited cloud agents; 30 stored conversations | — | — | 2026-11-14 | [pricing](https://www.warp.dev/pricing) |
| Claude Code | Paid | $20/mo | No free plan | — | Agentic coding in any terminal, IDE or CI | 2026-11-14 | [site](https://code.claude.com) [pricing](https://claude.com/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/claude-code/) |
| GitHub Copilot | Free plan + paid | $10/mo | 2,000 inline completions a month; limited chat and agent usage | — | Cheapest paid plan that includes a terminal CLI | 2026-11-14 | [site](https://github.com/features/copilot) [pricing](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/github-copilot/) |
| Kiro | Free plan + paid | $20/user/mo | 50 credits a month, open-weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5 | — | Spec-driven agent with IDE and CLI | 2026-11-14 | [site](https://kiro.dev) [pricing](https://kiro.dev/pricing) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/ai-tools/kiro/) |
| Gemini CLI | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | Apache-2.0 | Free Google-model agent in your terminal |  | [site](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli) [code](https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/gemini-cli/) |
| OpenCode | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | MIT | Open-source agent with 200+ model providers |  | [site](https://opencode.ai) [code](https://github.com/sst/opencode) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/opencode/) |
| Aider | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | Apache-2.0 | Git-native pair programming in the terminal |  | [site](https://aider.chat) [code](https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider) [Zekai page](https://zekaiwork.com/free-open-source/aider/) |
| Wave Terminal | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | Apache-2.0 | Open terminal with built-in AI and widgets |  | [site](https://www.waveterm.dev) [code](https://github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm) |
| Ghostty | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | MIT | Fast native terminal without AI |  | [site](https://ghostty.org) [code](https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty) |
| iTerm2 | Open source | Free (self-hosted) | No limit (self-hosted) | GPL-2.0 (LICENSE file; the README says GPLv3) | Mature Mac terminal with tmux integration |  | [site](https://iterm2.com) [code](https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2) |

## How each alternative compares with Warp

- **Claude Code** (Paid, $20/mo, checked 2026-11-14): Runs in any terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app and the web, and comes with a Claude plan from $20 a month; it is an agent rather than a terminal app. Switch if you already pay for Claude and want its agent in any terminal, IDE or CI job. Stay with Warp if you want a dedicated terminal app with Warp Drive and a free plan that bills extra agent usage pay-as-you-go.
- **GitHub Copilot** (Free plan + paid, $10/mo, checked 2026-11-14): Copilot Pro is $10 per user a month and every plan, including Free, includes Copilot CLI; Warp Build is $20 a month with $20 of agent usage included. Switch if you want one $10 subscription covering Copilot CLI and editor completions across IDEs. Stay with Warp if you want a dedicated terminal with cloud agents and shared workflows rather than a CLI bundled in an IDE plan.
- **Kiro** (Free plan + paid, $20/user/mo, checked 2026-11-14): Ships an IDE and a CLI (installed with curl from cli.kiro.dev) on credit plans: Free is 50 credits a month, Pro is 1,000 credits, and add-on credits cost $0.04 each. Switch if you want spec-driven development with requirements and bugfix specs and a CLI alongside an IDE. Stay with Warp if you want a terminal that works with your own inference or limited cloud agents on a free plan.
- **Gemini CLI** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Free tier with Google sign-in is 60 requests a minute and 1,000 a day on Gemini 3 models with a 1M-token context; it is a CLI, not a terminal app. Switch if you want a free, Apache-2.0 terminal agent on Gemini models with a large daily request allowance. Stay with Warp if you want a terminal app with built-in agent, shared workflows and a choice between several model vendors.
- **OpenCode** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): MIT-licensed agent with a terminal UI, desktop app and SDK that works with free models, 200+ providers or existing ChatGPT and GitHub Copilot subscriptions; OpenCode Go starts at $10 a month. Switch if you want an MIT-licensed coding agent that can use free models or the subscriptions you already own. Stay with Warp if you want a polished terminal app with cloud agents, usage reporting and team plans rather than a bare agent.
- **Aider** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Apache-2.0 terminal tool that auto-commits every edit to git, builds a map of your codebase across 100+ languages and lints and runs tests after each change; no terminal UI beyond the prompt. Switch if you want every AI edit committed to git automatically and prefer to bring your own model key. Stay with Warp if you want a graphical terminal with command history, agents you can watch and cloud runners.
- **Wave Terminal** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Apache-2.0 terminal where editors, browsers and an AI chat run as drag-and-drop blocks; Wave AI reads scrollback and edits files with approval, and works with local models through Ollama. Switch if you want an open terminal with an AI that reads your output, keeps durable SSH sessions and runs local models. Stay with Warp if you want an agent that executes commands and runs in the cloud; Wave AI lists command execution as coming soon.
- **Ghostty** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): MIT terminal with native macOS (SwiftUI) and Linux (GTK) apps, Metal and OpenGL rendering and the Kitty graphics protocol; its README mentions no AI features, unlike Warp's agent. Switch if you want a fast, native, MIT-licensed terminal and prefer to run Claude Code or another agent inside it. Stay with Warp if you want AI commands and an agent built into the terminal or a Windows build.
- **iTerm2** (Open source, Free (self-hosted)): Mac-only terminal with tmux integration, shell integration and hotkey windows; the README describes an optional LLM chat window that can run commands, while Warp ships on Mac, Windows and Linux. Switch if you are on a Mac and want tmux integration, triggers and a mature free terminal with optional AI chat. Stay with Warp if you need Windows or Linux support or an agent that works across several machines.

## Open-source options in detail

- **Gemini CLI** (https://github.com/google-gemini/gemini-cli): Licence: Apache-2.0; Commercial use: Yes (Apache-2.0).; Runs on: Any machine with Node.js; installs with npx, npm, Homebrew or MacPorts.; Setup: easy: One npx or Homebrew command, then sign in with Google.; Last commit: 2026-11-13; Last release: 2026-11-10; GitHub stars: 108,800 (2026-11-14)
- **OpenCode** (https://github.com/sst/opencode): Licence: MIT; Commercial use: Yes (MIT).; Runs on: Desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux, or a terminal UI over any shell.; Setup: easy: Install with one curl, npm or brew command and connect a model.; Last commit: 2026-11-14; Last release: 2026-11-13; GitHub stars: 226,800 (2026-11-14)
- **Aider** (https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider): Licence: Apache-2.0; Commercial use: Yes (Apache-2.0).; Runs on: Any machine with Python; needs a cloud model API key or a local model.; Setup: moderate: pip install aider-install, then bring your own model and API key.; Last commit: 2026-05-22; Last release: 2025-08-09; GitHub stars: 50,100 (2026-11-14)
- **Wave Terminal** (https://github.com/wavetermdev/waveterm): Licence: Apache-2.0; Commercial use: Yes (Apache-2.0).; Runs on: macOS 11+, Windows 10 1809+ or Linux with glibc 2.28+.; Setup: easy: Download the installer from waveterm.dev for your system.; Last commit: 2026-10-05; Last release: 2026-04-16; GitHub stars: 22,700 (2026-11-14)
- **Ghostty** (https://github.com/ghostty-org/ghostty): Licence: MIT; Commercial use: Yes (MIT).; Runs on: macOS app (SwiftUI) or Linux (GTK); GPU rendering through Metal or OpenGL.; Setup: easy: Download from ghostty.org/download for macOS or Linux.; Last commit: 2026-11-14; GitHub stars: 64,100 (2026-11-14)
- **iTerm2** (https://github.com/gnachman/iTerm2): Licence: GPL-2.0 (LICENSE file; the README says GPLv3); Commercial use: Yes; GPL means sharing source if you distribute modified versions.; Runs on: Mac with macOS; the README gives no minimum version.; Setup: easy: Download the release from iterm2.com and drag it into Applications.; Last commit: 2026-11-14; GitHub stars: 18,300 (2026-11-14)

## Questions

### What is the best alternative to Warp in 2027?
Claude Code is the best overall Warp alternative on this page ($20/mo). For no cost, Gemini CLI has a free plan. To self-host, Wave Terminal is open source (Apache-2.0).

### Is there a free version of Warp?
Yes. Warp has a free plan: Terminal free; agent usage pay-as-you-go; limited cloud agents; 30 stored conversations. Paid plans start at $20/mo, checked on 14 Nov 2026.

### Is there a 100% free alternative to Warp?
Yes. Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Aider, Wave Terminal, Ghostty, iTerm2 are open source and free to self-host. GitHub Copilot, Kiro have a free plan with limits, shown in the table.

### What is cheaper than Warp?
GitHub Copilot starts at $10/mo, against $20/mo for Warp, as listed on each vendor's pricing page on 14 Nov 2026.

### How much do Warp alternatives cost for a team of 5?
If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, at the prices Zekai checked on 14 Nov 2026, the monthly cost is GitHub Copilot $50/mo, Claude Code $100/mo, Kiro $100/mo, against Warp $100/mo for Warp. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. The Zekai Cost Finder on this page recalculates for any team size.

### Which is better, Claude Code or Warp?
Runs in any terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, a desktop app and the web, and comes with a Claude plan from $20 a month; it is an agent rather than a terminal app. Choose Claude Code if you already pay for Claude and want its agent in any terminal, IDE or CI job. Stay with Warp if you want a dedicated terminal app with Warp Drive and a free plan that bills extra agent usage pay-as-you-go.

### Why are people leaving Warp?
The documented reasons are: Warp's pricing announcement consolidated paid plans into one Build plan at $20 a month with 1,500 AI credits and retired Warp Pro, Turbo and Lightspeed; existing customers moved at their first renewal after 1 December 2025 (30 Oct 2025); The Free plan lists limited cloud agents access and 30 stored cloud conversations, and extra credits on Free are reloaded at rates 20% above paid-plan rates (14 Nov 2026). Each is sourced in the section above.

### What is the best Warp alternative?
For a free terminal, Ghostty and iTerm2 are the usual picks, and Wave Terminal adds built-in AI. For an agent, Claude Code, Gemini CLI and OpenCode run inside any terminal. The right pick depends on whether you want a terminal or an agent.

## Related on Zekai

- [Claude Code alternatives](https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/claude-code/)
- [GitHub Copilot alternatives](https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/github-copilot/)
- [AI for Software Development](https://zekaiwork.com/professions/ai-software-development-code-automation/)

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Live table, team cost finder and price alerts: https://zekaiwork.com/alternatives/warp-terminal/