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Head-to-head · Runtime Version Managers

asdf vs GHCup

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 1 check side by side
Higher score asdf #1 in Runtime Version Managers 9.2/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit asdf
GHCup #7 in Runtime Version Managers 8.4/10 Open source ✓ 0 of 3 features Visit GHCup

asdf leads on 0 checks, GHCup on 0, and 1 is even. Who comes out ahead on the 1 yes/no, price and count check where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreasdf · 9.2/10

asdf scores higher on our rubric for runtime version managers: 9.2 against 8.4 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #7.

asdf is the better fit for teams managing many runtimes across projects. GHCup is the better fit for haskell developers managing complete toolchains.

  • asdf fits best

    Teams managing many runtimes across projects

  • GHCup fits best

    Haskell developers managing complete toolchains

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Side by side

Feature asdf 9.2/10 Visit ↗ GHCup 8.4/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.2 8.4
Ranking #1 in Runtime Version Managers #7 in Runtime Version Managers
Best for Teams managing many runtimes across projects Haskell developers managing complete toolchains
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Open source Open source
Free plan Not checked yet Not checked yet
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Desktop
Platforms Linux, macOS Web, Windows, macOS, Linux
Support Community, Docs Community, Tickets, Docs
Integrations 1 integrations 4 integrations
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features asdf 0/3 · GHCup 0/3
Automatic switching Not checked yet Not checked yet
Project version pinning Not checked yet —
Team controls Not checked yet Not checked yet
Specs
Runtime types Not checked yet Not checked yet
Version source Not checked yet Not checked yet
Supported platforms Not checked yet Not checked yet
Our review
Pros
  • Manages multiple runtime and tool versions through plugins
  • Stores project and global versions in shareable .tool-versions files
  • Supports shims, legacy version files, shell completions, and GitHub Actions
  • Manages GHC, Cabal, Haskell Language Server, and Stack
  • Supports recommended, specific, and source-compiled tool versions
  • Provides CI installation and GPG metadata verification
Cons
  • Native support is limited to Linux and macOS
  • Windows support is through WSL2 rather than a native Windows environment
  • Adding runtime support depends on the available plugin ecosystem
  • Focused on Haskell rather than multiple language ecosystems
  • Does not provide project pinning
  • Does not automatically switch versions
Our verdict

asdf is an open-source command-line version manager for developers and teams working across projects with different language runtimes and tools. It installs and manages versions through plugins, then selects the configured executable with…

Read the review →

GHCup is an open-source installer and version manager for Haskell development tools. It manages the Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC), Cabal, Haskell Language Server, and Stack from command-line and text-based interfaces. Developers can list…

Read the review →
  1. asdfRuntime Version Managers 9.2Open source
  2. GHCupRuntime Version Managers 8.4Open source

Strengths and trade-offs

  • asdf — where it wins

    • Manages multiple runtime and tool versions through plugins
    • Stores project and global versions in shareable .tool-versions files
    • Supports shims, legacy version files, shell completions, and GitHub Actions

    Where it doesn't

    • Native support is limited to Linux and macOS
    • Windows support is through WSL2 rather than a native Windows environment
    • Adding runtime support depends on the available plugin ecosystem

  • GHCup — where it wins

    • Manages GHC, Cabal, Haskell Language Server, and Stack
    • Supports recommended, specific, and source-compiled tool versions
    • Provides CI installation and GPG metadata verification

    Where it doesn't

    • Focused on Haskell rather than multiple language ecosystems
    • Does not provide project pinning
    • Does not automatically switch versions
  • asdf9.2/10 · Open source

    An open-source version manager for coordinating runtimes and tools across projects.

    Visit asdfFull verdict →
  • GHCup8.4/10 · Open source

    A focused open-source manager for installing and selecting complete Haskell toolchains.

    Visit GHCupFull verdict →

More comparisons

All runtime version managers comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update