# TUI Framework Comparison
Comparison of terminal UI libraries across languages. Last updated: March 11, 2026.
## Overview
| Library | Language | Stars | Paradigm | Layout |
|------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------|--------|-----------------------|----------------|
| **Melker** | TypeScript/Deno+Node | New | HTML-like declarative | Flexbox |
| [Ink](https://github.com/vadimdemedes/ink) | JavaScript/Node | 35.4k | React components | Flexbox (Yoga) |
| [OpenTUI](https://github.com/sst/opentui) | TypeScript+Zig/Bun | 9.1k | React/SolidJS/Vue | Flexbox (Yoga) |
| [Blessed](https://github.com/chjj/blessed) | JavaScript/Node | 11.8k | Imperative widgets | CSS-like |
| [Bubble Tea](https://github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea) | Go | 40.2k | Elm architecture | CSS-like |
| [tview](https://github.com/rivo/tview) | Go | 13.6k | Imperative widgets | Grid/Flex |
| [Textual](https://github.com/Textualize/textual) | Python | 34.6k | Async widgets | CSS/Grid |
| [Ratatui](https://github.com/ratatui/ratatui) | Rust | 18.8k | Immediate mode | Constraints |
| [Terminal.Gui](https://github.com/gui-cs/Terminal.Gui) | C#/.NET | 10.8k | Imperative widgets | Computed |
| [FTXUI](https://github.com/ArthurSonzogni/FTXUI) | C++ | 9.7k | Functional/React-like | Flexbox |
| [ncurses](https://invisible-island.net/ncurses/) | C | Legacy | Low-level | Manual |
## Feature Matrix
| Feature | Melker | Ink | OpenTUI | Blessed | Bubble Tea | tview | Textual | Ratatui | Terminal.Gui | FTXUI |
|----------------------|:------:|:---:|:-------:|:-------:|:----------:|:-----:|:-------:|:-------:|:------------:|:-----:|
| No build step | Y | - | - | Y | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| Single binary | - | - | - | - | Y | Y | - | Y | Y | Y |
| React ecosystem | - | Y | Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Auto color degrade | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Mouse support | Y | ~ | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| Animations | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | - | Y | Y | - | Y |
| 16M colors | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y | ~ | Y |
| Pixel canvas | Y | - | - | - | - | - | ~ | Y | - | Y |
| Sixel/Kitty graphics | Y | Y* | - | - | - | - | Y* | Y* | - | - |
| CSS styling | Y | - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| Web browser target | Y | - | - | - | - | - | Y | Y | - | Y |
| Command palette | Y | - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - | - |
| No_std/embedded | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | Y | - | - |
| SSH/network serve | Y | - | - | - | Y | - | Y | - | - | - |
| i18n (built-in) | Y | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Node.js compat | Y | - | - | Y | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Sync output (2026) | Y | Y | Y | - | Y | - | - | - | - | - |
| Maintained (Mar 2026)| Y | Y | Y | - | Y | ~ | Y | Y | Y | Y |
Y = Full support, ~ = Partial/limited, - = Not available, Y* = Via extension
**Notes:**
- **Ink mouse**: Requires third-party package (ink-mouse)
- **Sixel/Kitty**: Ink via ink-picture, Textual via textual-image, Ratatui via ratatui-image
- **Terminal.Gui 16M colors**: v2 adds true color; v1 limited to 16 colors
- **Textual**: Textualize wound down May 2025; McGugan maintains as open source with undiminished pace
## Scripting & Code Style
| Library | UI Definition | Event Handling | State Management |
|--------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------|-----------------------|
| **Melker** | HTML-like `.melker` files | Inline `onClick="..."` handlers | Mutable element props |
| **Ink** | JSX components | React event props | useState/useReducer |
| **OpenTUI** | JSX/SolidJS/Vue components | React/Solid/Vue event props | useState/signals |
| **Blessed** | JS object creation | `.on('event', fn)` | Direct mutation |
| **Bubble Tea** | Go structs + View() | Msg -> Update() | Immutable Model |
| **tview** | Go constructors | SetInputCapture() | Direct mutation |
| **Textual** | Python classes | `@on` decorators | Reactive attributes |
| **Ratatui** | Rust widget structs | Match on events | Immutable state |
| **Terminal.Gui** | C# class creation | Event delegates | Direct mutation |
| **FTXUI** | C++ function composition | Lambdas | Captured refs |
### Code Examples
**Melker** - Declarative HTML-like:
```xml
```
**Ink** - React JSX:
```jsx
setCount(c => c + 1)}>Click
```
**OpenTUI** - React reconciler:
```tsx
import { Box, Text } from "@opentui/core";
Count: {count}
```
**Bubble Tea** - Elm architecture:
```go
func (m model) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
switch msg := msg.(type) {
case tea.KeyMsg: m.count++
}
return m, nil
}
```
**Textual** - Python decorators:
```python
@on(Button.Pressed)
def handle_press(self): self.count += 1
```
**Ratatui** - Rust match:
```rust
if let Event::Key(key) = event {
match key.code { KeyCode::Enter => state.count += 1, _ => {} }
}
```
**Terminal.Gui** - C# event delegates:
```csharp
var btn = new Button { Text = "Click" };
btn.Accept += (s, e) => { count++; };
Application.Run(new Toplevel { btn });
```
**FTXUI** - C++ lambdas:
```cpp
auto button = Button("Click", [&] { count++; });
```
## Styling Approaches
| Library | Method | Syntax | Theming |
|--------------------|---------------------|------------------------------|-------------------------------|
| **Melker** | CSS inline + `