Install
How Wintty is distributed: the tier model, what sponsoring pays for, and which path to take.
Wintty is a terminal for Windows. Everything it does is in the open source tree, and you can build it yourself and use it forever without paying anyone.
What sponsoring pays for is not the terminal. It is the work of turning the source into something you can just install: a build produced for you, signed so Windows and your security team can tell where it came from, and updated in place when there is something new. Pro goes further and adds a paid feature set on top.
| Tier | What it is | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| OSS | The full source code. Build it yourself, run it forever, pay nothing. | Free |
| Sponsor | The same terminal as OSS, but built, signed and kept up to date for you. | Any amount |
| Pro | Everything in Sponsor plus the paid feature set: persistent sessions, read aloud, streamer mode, SSH setup and more. | $6.99 per year |
| Pro Enterprise | Pro packaged as an MSI for deploying across a fleet with SCCM, Intune or Group Policy. | Get in touch |
| Pro Legacy | Pro built against DirectX 11, for machines that cannot run the DirectX 12 renderer. | Included with Pro |
Pro Desktop and Pro Enterprise are the same build with different packaging. Enterprise exists so a fleet can be deployed with SCCM, Intune or Group Policy instead of by hand.
Pro Legacy is a compatibility option, not a cheaper Pro. It is the same feature set built against DirectX 11, for machines that cannot run the DirectX 12 renderer. It is included with Pro rather than sold separately, and because it is cut from an older snapshot of Pro it trails the main build. Pick it only if you need it.
Note
The OSS tier is source code. There is no OSS download, and there never will be one. If you want a binary without building it, that is what the Sponsor tier is.
If you want to build it yourself, go to build from source. You need the Zig toolchain and a few Windows build tools, and you get exactly the same terminal everyone else runs.
If you want an installer that keeps itself up to date, sponsor at any amount and use the Sponsor tier.
If you want the Pro features, such as persistent sessions, read aloud or streamer mode, see what each tier includes and then how access works.
If you are deploying to a fleet, Pro Enterprise ships an MSI. It is not sold through GitHub Sponsors; see how access works for why and what to do instead.
What each tier includes
A feature by feature comparison of OSS, Sponsor, Pro, Pro Enterprise and Pro Legacy.
How access works
Sponsoring, sign in, and how a download is authorized. Also covers lapsing, grandfathering and Enterprise.
Prebuilt binaries
The signed builds, how they are signed, and how to verify one before you run it.
Build from source
Build Wintty yourself. This is the OSS tier, and the path for contributors.
Tip builds
The channel that tracks development, for sponsors who want fixes and new work early.
Release notes
Per version notes covering changes, fixes and breaking behavior.