Best Alternatives to statusbar in 2025
statusbar is a lightweight open-source utility that adds a persistent status line to any terminal, keeping essential information like time, battery, or system stats visible while you work. While it excels at simplicity, some users may need more advanced features such as multiplexing, extensive customization, or integration with specific workflows. Below are the best alternatives to statusbar, each offering unique strengths for terminal status and information display.
tmux
tmux is a terminal multiplexer that includes a highly configurable status bar. It supports custom scripts, colors, and real-time updates, making it ideal for users who want a full-featured terminal workspace with a persistent status line.
GNU Screen
GNU Screen is a mature terminal multiplexer with a built-in status line (hardstatus). It allows displaying system information and window lists, and is available on nearly all Unix-like systems, making it a reliable alternative for those who need a simple, ubiquitous solution.
byobu
byobu is a wrapper around tmux or screen that provides an enhanced, user-friendly status bar out of the box. It shows system stats, notifications, and window information with minimal configuration, perfect for users who want a polished status line without deep customization.
powerline
powerline is a statusline plugin for vim, shell prompts, and other applications. While not a terminal-wide status bar, it offers rich, informative status lines within supported tools, and can be combined with terminal multiplexers for a cohesive experience.
starship
starship is a cross-shell prompt that provides a customizable status line in your shell prompt. It displays contextual information like git status, runtime versions, and battery level, and works with any terminal, offering a modern alternative for prompt-based status display.
zellij
zellij is a modern terminal multiplexer with a built-in status bar and extensive plugin support. It offers a friendly UI, floating panes, and easy configuration, making it a strong alternative for users who want a status bar integrated into a powerful terminal workspace.
tmuxinator
tmuxinator is a tool for managing tmux sessions via YAML configs. While it doesn't provide a status bar itself, it enhances tmux's status bar with project-specific information and automation, ideal for developers who want context-aware status lines.
statusbar offers a simple way to add a persistent status line to any terminal, but alternatives like tmux, GNU Screen, and zellij provide multiplexing with customizable status bars, while byobu and starship focus on user-friendly or prompt-based status displays. For advanced customization, powerline and tmuxinator extend functionality further. The best choice depends on whether you need a full terminal workspace, a prompt-based solution, or minimal setup.