The Best Command-Line Shells in 2026
We researched command-line shells using information on official websites, including pricing pages, plan tables, and product documentation. Rankings focus on each shell’s core job, value for money, and verified features, so developers and system administrators can compare options for running programs, working with operating systems, and automating tasks.
Our top picks
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Top ranked
Bash#1 of 279.3/10A free, open-source shell for interactive command-line work and scripting.
Free plan
-
Runner-up
Zsh#2 of 278.8/10A free, customizable shell for users who want advanced command-line control.
Free plan
-
Top-ranked free plan
Fish#3 of 278.7/10Fish pairs history-based suggestions with rich completion and a browser-based configuration interface.
Free plan
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The full ranking 27 tools, best first
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Best forLinux and Unix users wanting a widely used shell
A free, open-source shell for interactive command-line work and scripting.
- Command completion
- Config file support
9.3/10★★★★★Visit GNU Bash -
Best forUsers who want advanced Unix shell customization
A free, customizable shell for users who want advanced command-line control.
- Command completion
- Config file support
8.8/10★★★★☆Visit Zsh -
Best forInteractive users seeking suggestions and rich completion
Fish pairs history-based suggestions with rich completion and a browser-based configuration interface.
- Command completion
- Config file support
8.7/10★★★★☆Visit Fish -
Best forLightweight POSIX shell scripting on Linux
A focused, open-source shell for POSIX scripting and everyday command execution on Linux.
- Config file support
8.5/10★★★★☆Visit Debian Project -
Best forLinux systems needing a configurable Unix shell applet
A POSIX shell applet for Linux builds that need configurable command execution and scripting.
- Command completion
8.3/10★★★★☆Visit BusyBox -
Best forOpenBSD users preferring KornShell-style scripting
OpenBSD ksh pairs KornShell scripting with interactive editing and completion on OpenBSD.
- Command completion
- Config file support
8.1/10★★★★☆Visit site -
Best forC shell users who want history and completion
A free, C shell-compatible option for interactive work, scripting, history, and completion.
- Command completion
- Config file support
8.0/10★★★★☆Visit tcsh -
Best forCross-platform system administration and automation
An open-source shell that pairs resource-management cmdlets with cross-platform automation.
- Package manager
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit PowerShell -
Best forWindows users extending CMD and batch workflows
A feature-rich CMD replacement for Windows, sold as a one-time per-system license.
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.9/10★★★★☆Visit JP Software -
Best forWindows users who need a C shell and Unix utilities
A Windows-only C shell environment with Unix-style utilities and one-time licensing.
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.8/10★★★★☆Try Hamilton C shell -
Best forKornShell users across Unix-like systems
A free, source-distributed shell with KornShell scripting and interactive editing features.
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.7/10★★★★☆Visit KornShell -
Best forCross-platform users working with structured data
A free, open-source shell for cross-platform users who want typed data pipelines.
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.6/10★★★★☆Visit Nushell -
Best forUsers seeking a modern shell with its own language
Elvish pairs an interactive shell with its own scripting language and package manager.
- Package manager
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.5/10★★★★☆Visit Elvish -
Best forUsers who want typed pipelines and built-in data handling
An open-source shell for typed pipelines and structured-data handling.
- Package manager
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.4/10★★★★☆Visit Murex -
Best forPOSIX shell users wanting prediction and extended syntax
Yash pairs POSIX shell syntax with prediction, completion, and extended features.
- Package manager
- Command completion
- Config file support
7.3/10★★★★☆Visit Yash -
Best forDOS users maintaining complex batch scripts
A free DOS shell with editing, file tools, and structured batch scripting.
- Config file support
7.2/10★★★★☆Visit 4DOS.INFO -
Best forAndroid and Unix-like systems needing Korn compatibility
A focused Korn-compatible shell for interactive work and scripting across Unix-like systems.
7.1/10★★★★☆Visit MirBSD Project -
Best forLua users who want a customizable cross-platform shell
A free, open-source shell for Lua users who want flexible input modes and customization.
- Package manager
- Command completion
- Config file support
6.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Hilbish -
Best forLinux users exploring POSIX-compatible and typed shells
A free Linux shell pairing POSIX/Bash-compatible OSH with typed-data support in YSH.
- Command completion
- Config file support
6.8/10★★★☆☆Visit Oils -
Best forUnix users interested in a functional shell language
A Unix shell and scripting language with functional features and a focused platform scope.
- Config file support
6.7/10★★★☆☆Visit Es shell -
Best forLinux users wanting IDE language-server support
A free, open-source shell with its own scripting language and IDE language-server support.
- Command completion
- Config file support
6.6/10★★★☆☆Visit Ion Shell -
Best forScheme programmers building Unix system tools
Scheme process notation and system tools for programmers working in Scheme.
- Config file support
6.5/10★★★☆☆Visit scsh -
Best forBasic video processing on desktop
A free video editor—not a command-line shell.
6.4/10★★★☆☆Visit Avidemux -
Best forLinux users seeking an OpenBSD ksh port
A focused way to run OpenBSD ksh on Linux, with minimal changes from upstream.
- Package manager
6.2/10★★★☆☆Visit loksh -
Best forPlan 9 users seeking a small scripting shell
A free, list-oriented shell for interactive commands and scripts on Plan 9.
- Config file support
6.1/10★★★☆☆Visit rc shell -
Best forDOS users seeking an open-source command processor
A free, open-source DOS command processor for interactive commands and batch files.
- Command completion
- Config file support
6.0/10★★★☆☆Visit FreeCOM -
Best forResearchers studying POSIX shell semantics
A research-oriented shell for exploring POSIX semantics, not a general-purpose interactive shell.
5.9/10★★★☆☆Visit Smoosh
No tools match those filters.
Compare at a glance
| # | Tool | Free plan | Paid from | Supported platforms | Scripting language | Command completion | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bash | Yes | None | GNU operating systems, Unix, and several non-Unix systems | Bash shell language | Yes | 9.3 |
| 2 | Zsh | Yes | None | Unix; Windows via Cygwin | Zsh shell scripting language | Yes | 8.8 |
| 3 | Fish | Yes | None | macOS, Linux, BSD, and Windows environments (WSL, Cygwin, MSYS2) | fish | Yes | 8.7 |
| 4 | Dash | Yes | None | linux | POSIX sh shell language | No | 8.5 |
| 5 | BusyBox ash | Yes | None | Linux | POSIX shell | Yes | 8.3 |
| 6 | OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) | Yes | None | OpenBSD | KornShell language (superset of sh) | Yes | 8.1 |
| 7 | tcsh | Yes | None | Linux (Debian and Ubuntu); most Unix variants | C shell (csh) | Yes | 8.0 |
| 8 | PowerShell | Yes | None | Windows, macOS, Linux | PowerShell | Yes | 7.9 |
| 9 | Take Command Console (TCC) | No | $34.95/device one-time | Windows | TCC scripting language (CMD-compatible batch language) | Yes | 7.9 |
| 10 | Hamilton C shell | No | $89 one-time | Windows | C shell (csh) | Yes | 7.8 |
| 11 | KornShell (ksh93u+m) | Yes | None | Android/Termux, Cygwin, DragonFly BSD, FreeBSD, Haiku, illumos, Linux, macOS, NetBSD, OpenBSD, QNX Neutrino, Solaris | KornShell (ksh) | Yes | 7.7 |
| 12 | Nushell | Yes | None | Linux, macOS, Windows | Nu (Nushell language) | Yes | 7.6 |
| 13 | Elvish | Yes | None | Linux, BSD, macOS, Windows | Elvish | Yes | 7.5 |
| 14 | Murex | Yes | None | Linux, macOS, Windows, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD, DragonflyBSD, Plan 9 | Murex | Yes | 7.4 |
| 15 | Yash | Yes | None | POSIX.1-2001 environments; package availability includes Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, macOS, FreeBSD, NetBSD, OpenBSD, and Gentoo | Yash shell language (POSIX shell syntax with extensions) | Yes | 7.3 |
| 16 | 4DOS | Yes | None | DOS; DOS windows in Windows | 4DOS batch language | — | 7.2 |
| 17 | MirBSD Korn Shell (mksh) | Yes | None | Linux, macOS, Android | KornShell (ksh) | — | 7.1 |
| 18 | Hilbish | Yes | None | Linux, macOS, Windows | Lua | Yes | 6.9 |
| 19 | Oil Shell | Yes | None | Linux | YSH (Oil language); OSH (POSIX/Bash-compatible shell language) | Yes | 6.8 |
| 20 | Es shell | Yes | None | Unix | Es | — | 6.7 |
| 21 | Ion Shell | Yes | None | Redox OS, Linux and other Unix-like platforms | Ion | Yes | 6.6 |
| 22 | scsh (Scheme Shell) | Yes | None | AIX, BSD/OS, CXUX, FreeBSD, HP-UX, IRIX, Linux, NetBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, SunOS, Win32, Darwin/Mac OS X, GNU Hurd | R5RS Scheme | — | 6.5 |
| 23 | Avidemux | Yes | None | — | — | — | 6.4 |
| 24 | loksh | Yes | None | Linux | KornShell (ksh) | — | 6.2 |
| 25 | rc shell | Yes | None | Plan 9 | rc | — | 6.1 |
| 26 | FreeCOM | Yes | None | DOS kernels implementing the DOS API, including FreeDOS and Microsoft DOS | DOS batch files | Yes | 6.0 |
| 27 | Smoosh | Yes | None | Linux, macOS | POSIX shell | — | 5.9 |
Head-to-head All 28 comparisons →
- Bash vs Zsh
- Bash vs Fish
- Bash vs Dash
- Bash vs BusyBox ash
- Bash vs OpenBSD KornShell (ksh)
- Bash vs tcsh
- Bash vs PowerShell
- Zsh vs Fish
- Zsh vs Dash
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How we rank Command-Line shells
Every tool on this page was researched by iTechGuides Editors from its official website — pricing pages, plan tables and product documentation. We rank on how well each one does this category's core job, what the free or entry plan includes, and where it falls short. Where we have enough verified facts, the score out of 10 is a rubric — job fit, value and how much we could verify — shown with its breakdown on every tool's page; a tool we have not verified enough to score yet shows its rank without a number. Scores are re-checked when a product changes its plans. Read the full editorial policy, or submit a tool we missed.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Last updated · How we research and update