Top termbox Alternatives for Building Powerful Terminal GUIs

Termbox is a well-regarded library for creating terminal-based pseudo-GUIs, known for its simplicity and clean approach as an ncurses alternative. However, depending on your project's specific requirements, target platform, or preferred programming language, you might find yourself looking for a robust termbox alternative. This article explores some of the best libraries and frameworks that offer similar or expanded capabilities for building engaging text-based user interfaces (TUIs).

Best termbox Alternatives

Whether you're developing cross-platform applications, require specific language bindings, or need more advanced widget toolkits, these alternatives provide excellent options for crafting sophisticated terminal GUIs.

FINAL CUT

FINAL CUT is a compelling termbox alternative, serving as a C++ class library and widget toolkit for creating text-based user interfaces with full mouse support. It's a fantastic choice for developers working on Free, Open Source projects across a wide array of platforms including Mac, Linux, BSD, Cygwin, Solaris, FreeBSD, NetBSD, and OpenBSD, offering strong API and text-based UI features.

libmabuff

libmabuff is a library specifically designed for simple TUI creation in C++, making it a strong termbox alternative, especially since it uses a customized termbox as its backend. It's Free and Open Source, primarily available for Linux, and focuses on terminal emulator, text-based, and user interface features, making it ideal for those who appreciate termbox's core but need additional C++ TUI functionalities.

newt

Newt is a powerful programming library for creating color text mode, widget-based user interfaces, positioning itself as an excellent termbox alternative. It's Free and Open Source, available for Linux, and provides rich features like stacked windows, entry widgets, checkboxes, and radio buttons, allowing for more complex TUI designs than a simple ncurses alternative.

ConsoleGUI

ConsoleGUI stands out as a simple .NET framework for creating console-based GUI applications, making it a viable termbox alternative for Windows developers. It's Free and Open Source, providing essential layout management utilities and basic controls for building text-based user interfaces within the .NET ecosystem.

Gui.cs

Gui.cs offers a simple UI toolkit for .NET, .NET Core, and Mono, serving as an effective termbox alternative that works across both Windows and Linux/Unix. It's Free and Open Source, and contains various controls for building text user interfaces, providing a flexible option for cross-platform TUI development in the .NET environment.

Turbo Vision

Turbo Vision is a complete C++ Text User Interface (TUI) featuring windows, dialogs (with buttons, check/radio boxes, input boxes), mouse support, and menus, making it a robust termbox alternative. It's Free and Open Source, available on Linux, Cygwin, FreeDOS, Solaris, FreeBSD, and MS-DOS, providing a feature-rich library for advanced terminal GUI development.

Each of these termbox alternatives offers unique strengths in terms of platform support, feature sets, and programming language compatibility. We encourage you to explore them to find the best fit for your specific project needs and preferences in building powerful and interactive terminal applications.