Unlocking Your Options: The Best Serial Alternatives for Mac and Beyond

Serial is a well-known full-featured serial terminal for the Mac, beloved by many for its robust capabilities. However, users often seek Serial alternatives for various reasons, including platform compatibility, specific feature requirements, open-source preferences, or simply a fresh user experience. This guide explores some of the top contenders that can admirably replace or complement your current workflow.

Top Serial Alternatives

Whether you're a developer, hobbyist, or IT professional, finding the right serial terminal can significantly impact your productivity. We've compiled a list of excellent alternatives to Serial, catering to a range of needs and operating systems.

KiTTY

KiTTY is an excellent open-source terminal emulator, forked from PuTTY, offering a wealth of additional features. It's a strong Serial alternative, especially for Windows users, boasting features like portability, SSH, SSH tunneling, auto-saving, auto-login, a built-in editor, support for keyboard shortcuts, multiple browser tabs, session management, and general terminal emulation.

iTerm2

For Mac users, iTerm2 is a powerful and popular open-source replacement for the default Terminal, serving as a robust Serial alternative. Compatible with macOS 10.10 or newer, it brings the terminal into the modern age with extensive features like customizable layouts, annotated history, a clean design, a dropdown terminal, dual-pane support, Growl integration, integrated search, key binding, multiple language support, Quake-style access, split windows, SSH, and comprehensive terminal emulation.

Zterm

Zterm is a classic Mac terminal emulation program that, while older, still functions as a viable free Serial alternative for basic needs. It provides serial terminal capabilities and driverless operation, making it a straightforward terminal emulator.

Prompt

Prompt is a commercial SSH client specifically designed for iPhone and iPad, offering a clean, crisp, and user-friendly experience. While not a direct terminal emulator like Serial, its focus on remote desktop and SSH capabilities makes it a strong contender for those needing secure remote access on iOS devices.

CoolTerm

CoolTerm is a simple, free serial port terminal application designed for hobbyists and professionals across Mac, Windows, and Linux. It focuses on basic data exchange over serial ports and functions as a reliable terminal emulator, making it a straightforward Serial alternative for those who don't need full terminal emulation features.

Get Console

Get Console is a commercial iPhone and iPad serial port terminal application that provides serial connectivity without requiring jailbreaking. Its primary feature is terminal emulation, offering mobile users a convenient Serial alternative for on-the-go serial communications.

goSerial

goSerial is a free Universal Binary for Mac, offering simple serial terminal emulation. While it does not support VT terminal type emulation, it can be a useful, lightweight Serial alternative for basic serial communication tasks on macOS.

With a diverse range of options available, from powerful open-source solutions like iTerm2 and KiTTY to more specialized tools for mobile or basic serial communication, you're sure to find a Serial alternative that perfectly fits your specific needs and operating system preferences. Explore these choices and pick the best one for your workflow!