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Ink

React for CLIs. The most widely used React terminal renderer, pioneering JSX-to-terminal since 2017.

Language: TypeScriptRuntime: Node.jsWebsiteSource

Ink pioneered React-based terminal rendering in 2017 and remains the most widely used library in its category. It renders React components to the terminal using Yoga for flexbox layout and chalk for colors.

Ink targets the Core TUI baseline — it works with basic SGR colors (256-color mode), cursor positioning, and alternate screen. It does not require truecolor, mouse tracking, or modern protocols, making it compatible with virtually every terminal including older ones.

Analysis2026-03-26

Ink requires the Core TUI baseline4 of 8 tested terminals are fully compatible. Compatible: Warp, Cursor, VS Code, Cursor. Partial compatibility: Ghostty (99%), Kitty (99%), iTerm2 (99%), Terminal.app (99%). Same baseline tier (Core TUI) as Blessed. Other frameworks target: Silvery, Textual, Bubbletea, Ratatui (Modern TUI).

Required Baseline

🟢Core TUIEvery terminal should support these

Ink requires the Core TUI baseline (71 features). Terminals meeting this baseline can run Ink applications with full functionality.

Compatible Terminals

Terminal Applications

iTerm2
99%70 / 71
Ghostty
99%70 / 71
VS Code
100%71 / 71
Warp
100%71 / 71
Cursor
100%71 / 71
Kitty
99%70 / 71
Terminal.app
99%70 / 71

Headless Backends

vterm
100%71 / 71
Alacritty
99%70 / 71
WezTerm
97%69 / 71
vt100
94%67 / 71

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