Ink vs OpenTUI
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
React components for building interactive command-line apps in the terminal.
Open source · MIT
A TypeScript library for building terminal user interfaces, with a Zig core.
The short answer
Choose Ink if you need…
- JavaScript or TypeScript developers who already know React
- Teams building interactive command-line tools with live-updating output
- Authors who want to structure CLI output as reusable components
- Developers who want to test CLI output by rendering components
Choose OpenTUI if you need…
- Developers building terminal applications in TypeScript
- React developers who want to build terminal interfaces with a familiar component model
- Solid developers who want a terminal renderer for Solid
- Teams building interactive command-line tools that need mouse and keyboard controls
Side-by-side
| Ink | OpenTUI | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Library | Library |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 40.2k | 13.7k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Intermediate |
| How you get it | Install with a package manager | Install with a package manager |
| Main language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 4 days ago |
What each one is
Ink
Ink lets you build terminal programs using React, the component-based UI library normally used for web pages. You describe the output as components, and Ink draws it in the command line, using Flexbox-style layout via Yoga. It is useful if you already know React and want to make a CLI that updates over time or responds to input.
OpenTUI
OpenTUI is a library for building text-based interfaces that run in a terminal. You write the interface in TypeScript, directly or through React or Solid, and lay out boxes and text with flexbox. It includes selects, inputs, and scroll boxes with keyboard and mouse controls, and the README also mentions sound, images, and 3D graphics. The README states that OpenCode uses it in production.
Best for
Ink
- JavaScript or TypeScript developers who already know React
- Teams building interactive command-line tools with live-updating output
- Authors who want to structure CLI output as reusable components
- Developers who want to test CLI output by rendering components
OpenTUI
- Developers building terminal applications in TypeScript
- React developers who want to build terminal interfaces with a familiar component model
- Solid developers who want a terminal renderer for Solid
- Teams building interactive command-line tools that need mouse and keyboard controls
Strengths
Ink
- Uses the familiar React component model and its features
- Supports Flexbox-style layout in the terminal through Yoga
- Widely used, with many listed projects such as Claude Code and Gemini CLI
OpenTUI
- Lets you write terminal interfaces in TypeScript, with optional React or Solid renderers
- Offers a flexbox layout model and built-in interactive components with keyboard and mouse support
- Is MIT licensed and has a large star count and an active repository
Not ideal for
Ink
- People who only need a simple script with plain text output, since Ink adds React as a dependency
- Non-developers, because it requires writing React code
- Projects that cannot use Node.js-based tooling, since the README shows an npm install
OpenTUI
- People who only need a simple one-off command-line script, since the library adds a rendering layer to learn
- Anyone who needs a graphical desktop or web interface rather than a terminal one
- Developers who cannot use Bun and Zig for the development workflow the README describes
Trade-offs
Ink
- Requires knowing React, and the README says only Ink's own methods are documented, so you must learn React separately
- The README notes the documented version is the upcoming release, and points to npm for the latest stable one
- Adds a React runtime to what would otherwise be a simple command-line tool
OpenTUI
- The README does not give a detailed beginner tutorial, so setup may take some exploration
- Development requires Bun 1.4.1 or later and Zig 0.16.0, which adds toolchain requirements
- The README is truncated and does not fully document the feature set or platform support
Getting started
OpenTUI
Install dependencies from the repository root
bun installFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Ink and OpenTUI?
Ink: React components for building interactive command-line apps in the terminal. OpenTUI: A TypeScript library for building terminal user interfaces, with a Zig core. Ink suits javascript or typescript developers who already know react, while OpenTUI suits developers building terminal applications in typescript.
Are Ink and OpenTUI free?
Ink: Free and open source. OpenTUI: Free and open source.
Is Ink or OpenTUI more popular?
Ink has more GitHub stars (40.2k) than OpenTUI (13.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Ink and OpenTUI?
Other options people compare them with include Commander.js, react-pdf, Bubble Tea, Textual.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.