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TermFlow vs iTerm2
iTerm2 is the mature, scriptable Mac terminal — with a real Python API. TermFlow brings agent control to Windows, macOS, and Linux, over an HTTP API and a first-party MCP server.
Two philosophies.
iTerm2
The scriptable Mac classic.
Free, deeply mature, and genuinely scriptable: a full Python API that can send input, capture output, and register for events. On macOS it's the power-user standard, and its automation surface is the strongest of the classic terminals.
TermFlow
Agent control, cross-platform + MCP.
The same send-input / read-output control, but over a documented HTTP API and a first-party MCP server — the contract agents already speak — on Windows, macOS, and Linux, not macOS alone.
Feature by feature.
| Capability | TermFlow | iTerm2 |
|---|---|---|
| Platforms | Windows · macOS · Linux | macOS only |
| Programmatic control (send input / read output) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mature & battle-tested | Pre-release | Years of it ★ |
| Agent control surface | HTTP API + MCP | Python API (websocket) |
| Built-in MCP server | ✓ | — |
| Split panes & layouts | ✓ | ✓ |
| Session restore | ✓ | ✓ |
| Free & open source | Apache-2.0 | GPL-2.0 |
Where iTerm2 wins
Credit where due: iTerm2 is one of the few terminals that already lets a program send input, capture output, and subscribe to events — via a real, well-documented Python API — and it's years more mature than we are. If you're on a Mac and comfortable with its Python scripting, it's excellent. Our differences are two: TermFlow runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, and it speaks MCP and HTTP — the contract agent tooling standardizes on — rather than a macOS-only Python/websocket API.
Common questions.
Doesn't iTerm2 already have an API?
It does, and a good one — Python over a websocket, macOS-only. TermFlow's difference is cross-platform reach and a first-party MCP server plus HTTP, which is what agent tooling standardizes on.
Is TermFlow as mature as iTerm2?
Not yet — iTerm2 has years on us and we won't pretend otherwise; we're pre-release. What we offer today is cross-platform agent control over MCP and HTTP.
Is it free?
Yes, Apache-2.0 — API and MCP included, free on your machine. See pricing.