Warp.dev vs Wave Terminal.dev: Choosing the Right AI-Powered Terminal for Developers
Modern terminals are getting a major upgrade with AI and new UI features. Warp.dev and Wave Terminal.dev are two notable AI-powered terminals that aim to boost developer productivity. Warp is a polished, proprietary terminal with built-in AI assistance and team collaboration tools, while Wave Terminal is a newer open-source alternative integrating AI and graphical widgets into the CLI.
This article compares them in practical terms — setup, daily use, AI capabilities, speed, collaboration, and platform support — to help you choose the right fit for their workflow.
Key Takeaways
- Warp.dev offers a fast, polished experience with built-in AI command generation and real-time team collaboration.
- Wave Terminal.dev gives developers more control with open-source flexibility, local model support, and built-in graphical tools.
- Summary: Choose Warp for team sharing and out-of-the-box polish. Choose Wave for openness, local-first AI, and integrated extras like an embedded editor.
How AI changes the terminal experience
AI-powered terminals change how we work by embedding assistants directly into the command line. Instead of Googling obscure flags or error messages, developers can ask for help inside the terminal itself — getting command suggestions, error explanations, and even code generation without switching context. It’s like upgrading your terminal from a typewriter to a smart IDE.
Overview of Warp.dev
Setup and UI:
- Native Mac app (now on Linux and Windows too).
- Requires account signup.
- Smooth onboarding; modern, IDE-style UI. Commands and outputs are grouped into blocks.
AI features:
- Warp AI Agent suggests commands from natural language, explains errors, and offers real-time autocompletion for 400+ CLI tools.
- Cloud-based — powered by OpenAI models — requires internet connection.
Performance:
- Built in Rust with GPU-accelerated rendering.
- Extremely fast input, output, and scrolling.
- Low memory overhead compared to Electron-based terminals.
Team collaboration:
- Warp Drive: Share commands, notebooks, or live terminal sessions easily.
- Real-time collaboration (“Google Docs for the terminal”).
Customization:
- No plugins, but strong support for sharing workflows and themes.
- Feature expansion controlled by Warp’s own roadmap (closed ecosystem).
Overview of Wave Terminal.dev
Setup and UI:
- Open-source, cross-platform (Mac, Linux, Windows).
- No account needed.
- Flexible interface: terminal + file manager + editor + browser, all in draggable panels.
AI Features:
- Integrated AI assistant (chat-based).
- Supports your own models (OpenAI, Claude, local Ollama models).
- Can operate fully offline with local LLMs if configured.
Performance:
- Built with Go and TypeScript (Electron-based GUI).
- Fast enough for normal work, but heavier than Warp under large load.
Team Collaboration:
- No live collaboration yet.
- Strong SSH integration for remote work.
Customization:
- No formal plugin marketplace (yet), but highly configurable via the
wshscripting layer. - Open to contributions and forks (full source available).
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Warp.dev | Wave Terminal.dev |
|---|---|---|
| Account Required | Yes | No |
| Open Source | No | Yes |
| AI Model Support | Warp-hosted GPT models | Any API key or local LLMs |
| Collaboration | Built-in sharing & Warp Drive | SSH only (no live sharing yet) |
| Performance | Rust-native, GPU-accelerated | Electron, fast but heavier |
| Extensions | Workflows, no plugins | WSH scripting, open source contributions |
| Platforms | macOS, Linux (beta), Windows | macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Offline Mode | Limited (basic terminal only) | Fully possible with local models |
Why it matters for developers
- Productivity boost: Use AI directly in your workflow instead of breaking flow to search online.
- Choice of control: Prefer a fully open system you can customize? Wave wins. Prefer out-of-the-box polish with smart defaults? Warp shines.
- Future-proofing: As AI workflows become essential, picking the right terminal today can make a huge difference in your productivity tomorrow.
Conclusion
Warp.dev is perfect if you want a polished, ready-to-go AI terminal with built-in collaboration. If you’re working on a team, Warp’s live sharing and cloud sync features are hard to beat.
Wave Terminal.dev is ideal if you want full control, privacy, and the ability to run your AI locally without relying on a vendor. It’s open, flexible, and designed for developers who love to tweak and customize.
Bottom line:
- Need team features + polish? Warp.
- Want full freedom + open-source? Wave.
Both are excellent — it depends what kind of developer you are and where you want your workflow to go.
FAQs
Yes. Wave lets you use your own API keys or even fully local models, and doesn’t require signing up for any cloud service.
Only partially. You can use the shell itself offline, but AI features like Agent, command suggestions, and Warp Drive require an internet connection.
Both support remote workflows. Warp supports remote SSH connections with standard CLI tools. Wave Terminal integrates SSH visually with a full file tree and terminal tab, making remote work slightly smoother.