Best Guake Alternatives 2026

Experience the convenience of Guake! Access your terminal instantly with a single keystroke. Inspired by the Quake console, this top-down terminal emulator streamlines your workflow. Simplify terminal access today!

Guake allows you to quickly access a terminal window from anywhere on your desktop. By pressing a designated hotkey, Guake slides down from the top of the screen providing instant access to the command line. It is designed to be lightweight and unobtrusive, ensuring it doesn't interfere with your workflow. Guake is a productivity-boosting addition to any Linux desktop. Give Guake a try today!

7
Top Alternatives
3
User Reviews
4.2
Avg. Rating

Recent Reviews

RO
Ryan O'Connor
DevOps Engineer

"Guake is an absolute lifesaver for managing multiple server connections and monitoring logs. Its drop-down functionality..."

MZ
Mei Zhang
Solutions Architect

"Guake is generally useful, but it could benefit from improved performance with resource-intensive applications. The inte..."

FA
Fatima Al-Zahra
Engineering Manager

"As an Engineering Manager, I appreciate the efficiency Guake brings to my team's development workflow. The quick access..."

Guake

guake-project.org

Guake is a top-down terminal emulator for GNOME, inspired by the Quake console. It provides quick and easy access to a terminal window with a single keypress.

Platform Highlights

  • Top-down terminal emulator
  • Hotkey access
  • Lightweight and unobtrusive
  • Linux only
  • GNOME dependencies
Global Rank
#8
Monthly Users
800K+
Founded
2007
Model
Open Source
Revenue Share
0%
Content Policy
N/A
Creator Satisfaction 77%

Based on 4,000+ creator reviews

Guake Alternatives

Compare top terminal & cli platforms with detailed reviews and ratings

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4

Terminator

Free

Terminator is a terminal emulator that provides multiple GNOME terminals in one window. This is useful for managing multiple tasks in the same terminal.

Linux
Free Option
gnome-terminator.github.io
4.4 (3 reviews)
82% recommend
RK
Rhea Kapoor
Tech Lead

"Terminator has been a game-changer for our team. The resource management capabilities are exceptional, allowing us to op..."

Match Score
54%
6

Kitty

Free

Kitty is a GPU-based terminal emulator with a focus on performance and features. It is designed to be fast, extensible, and customizable for all platforms.

macOS, Linux
Free Option
sw.kovidgoyal.net
4.3 (3 reviews)
79% recommend
RS
Ricardo Silva
Engineering Manager

"Kitty has completely transformed our team's productivity. The seamless integration with our existing workflow, coupled w..."

Match Score
48%
2

Zsh

Free

Zsh is a powerful shell with many features, including improved tab completion, themes, and plugin support. It's highly customizable and popular among developers for increased productivity.

Web, macOS, Linux
Free Option
zsh.org
4.6 (3 reviews)
88% recommend
DR
Diego Ramirez
DevOps Engineer

"Zsh has completely revolutionized my command-line experience. The extensive plugin support, especially with Oh My Zsh, m..."

Match Score
47%
3

Oh My Zsh

Free

Oh My Zsh is a delightful, open-source framework for managing your Zsh configuration. It comes bundled with thousands of helpful functions, helpers, plugins, and themes.

Web, macOS, Linux
Free Option
ohmyz.sh
4.5 (3 reviews)
85% recommend
SS
Sakura Sato
DevOps Engineer

"Oh My Zsh has completely transformed my terminal experience! The sheer number of plugins and themes available is astound..."

Match Score
43%
5

Alacritty

Free

Alacritty is a fast, cross-platform, GPU-accelerated terminal emulator. It prioritizes performance and simplicity, providing a clean and efficient command-line experience for all users.

macOS, Linux, Windows
Free Option
github.com
4.3 (3 reviews)
80% recommend
JC
Julian Carter
Tech Lead

"Alacritty is blazing fast! The configuration is simple and straightforward. I love how customizable it is without being..."

Match Score
43%
7

Hyper

Free

Hyper is a cross-platform terminal built on web technologies. It provides a consistent experience across macOS, Linux, and Windows, and is known for its customizability.

Web, macOS, Linux, Windows
Free Option
hyper.is
4.2 (3 reviews)
78% recommend
DA
Devon Alexander
Tech Lead

"Hyper has completely revolutionized our development workflow! The seamless integration with our existing tools and the i..."

Match Score
42%
1

iTerm2

Recommended Free

iTerm2 is a replacement for Terminal and the successor to iTerm. It works on Macs and is known for its many features, customizations and user-friendly UI.

macOS
Free Option
iterm2.com
4.7 (3 reviews)
90% recommend
DK
David Kim
Tech Lead

"iTerm2 is an indispensable tool for any developer working on macOS. Its customizability is unmatched, allowing for fine-..."

Match Score
40%
User Reviews

What users say about Guake

Real experiences from our community of users who have tried Guake and its alternatives.

4.2
Average Rating
3
Total Reviews
77%
Would Recommend
RO
Ryan O'Connor
DevOps Engineer • 1 month ago
Verified User

Guake is an absolute lifesaver for managing multiple server connections and monitoring logs. Its drop-down functionality is incredibly convenient, and the ability to customize the terminal's appearance is a huge plus. I've noticed a significant improvement in my workflow since incorporating Guake into my daily routine. The configurability is excellent, and integration with different shells is seamless. Highly recommended for any serious Linux user.

Verified Purchase
MZ
Mei Zhang
Solutions Architect • 1 month ago
User

Guake is generally useful, but it could benefit from improved performance with resource-intensive applications. The integration with certain display managers isn't always smooth. Customization options are good, but can be a little overwhelming for new users. Overall, a decent tool, but has room for improvement in terms of stability and resource management. The concept is fantastic, just needs further optimization.

FA
Fatima Al-Zahra
Engineering Manager • 1 month ago
Verified User

As an Engineering Manager, I appreciate the efficiency Guake brings to my team's development workflow. The quick access to a terminal without disrupting the main workspace is invaluable. The screen splitting feature helps in quickly comparing outputs across different servers. While the initial setup can be slightly confusing, the benefits far outweigh the learning curve. A fantastic tool for streamlining development tasks.

Verified Purchase