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Quil vs Zellij
Modern Rust terminal multiplexer with a friendly UX, WASM plugins, and sane defaults. Released in 2021.
Zellij is the closest competitor on UX — both tools prioritise gentle defaults and a modern feel. Where they diverge: Zellij is a multiplexer first, Quil is a workflow orchestrator first. Quil's typed panes, AI session resume, and reboot persistence address a problem Zellij considers out of scope.
Feature matrix
| Feature | Quil | Zellij |
|---|---|---|
| Session persistence while the multiplexer server is running | ||
| Survives a full host reboot | ||
| Quil's defining capability. Everyone else loses the session on reboot. | ||
| AI session auto-resume (Claude Code, Cursor) | ||
| Typed panes (Terminal / AI / SSH / Webhook) | ||
| Plugin system | ||
| Quil uses declarative TOML. Zellij uses WASM. WezTerm uses Lua. tmux uses shell scripts. | ||
| Mouse support | ||
| Ghost buffers (last 500 lines instant on reconnect) | ||
| MCP server for AI agents | ||
| Notification center + idle analysis | ||
| Pane notes editor (Alt+E) | ||
| Windows native (no WSL) | ||
| Declarative keybindings (config file) | ||
Modern UX, clean WASM plugin model, excellent defaults, discoverable status bar. Zellij users rarely need to read a manual.
No concept of reboot-proof workflows or AI session continuity. Zellij sessions are runtime-only; a host reboot is final.
Zellij users will feel at home in Quil — both tools use Alt-based keys and avoid prefix chords by default. The main adjustment is Quil's typed panes (Terminal / AI / SSH / etc.), which Zellij doesn't have.
Common questions
Is Quil just Zellij with AI support?
Can Quil use Zellij plugins?
Both tools are in Rust, right?
See also
Ready to try Quil?
Installation takes about 30 seconds. Your Zellij setup stays untouched — Quil installs side-by-side.