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Head-to-head · Command-Line Shells

Bash vs Fish

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Bash #1 in Command-Line Shells 9.3/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit GNU Bash
Fish #3 in Command-Line Shells 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Fish

Bash leads on 0 checks, Fish on 0, and 4 are even. Who comes out ahead on the 4 yes/no, price and count checks where we have data for both products. The editor score weighs everything else too.

Our verdict

  • Highest scoreBash · 9.3/10
  • Free planboth

Bash scores higher on our rubric for command-line shells: 9.3 against 8.7 out of 10; our editors rank them #1 and #3.

Bash is the better fit for linux and Unix users wanting a widely used shell. Fish is the better fit for interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion.

  • Bash fits best

    Linux and Unix users wanting a widely used shell

  • Fish fits best

    Interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion

Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. How we rank.

Side by side

Feature Bash 9.3/10 Visit ↗ Fish 8.7/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 9.3 8.7
Ranking #1 in Command-Line Shells #3 in Command-Line Shells
Best for Linux and Unix users wanting a widely used shell Interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Deployment Self-hosted Self-hosted
Platforms Linux macOS, Linux, Windows
Support Docs Docs, Community
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Bash 2/3 · Fish 2/3
Package manager Not published —
Config file support ✓ ✓
Command completion ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms GNU operating systems, Unix, and several non-Unix systems macOS, Linux, BSD, and Windows environments (WSL, Cygwin, MSYS2)
Scripting language Bash shell language fish
Our review
Pros
  • Supports interactive sessions and non-interactive shell scripts
  • Includes Readline editing, command history, and programmable completion
  • Provides job control in interactive sessions
  • Highlights command syntax and suggests commands from history, completions, and file paths.
  • Offers navigable tab completion plus general and command-specific scripted completions.
  • Includes fish scripting, built-in help, and browser-based configuration.
Cons
  • Shell startup behavior requires understanding login and interactive files
  • Documentation is the listed support channel
  • Its scripting language is specific to Bash
  • Uses its own fish scripting language rather than a listed alternative shell language.
  • Support channels are documentation and community.
  • Does not include AI features or a package manager.
Our verdict

Bash is the GNU Project’s command-line shell and command-language interpreter, suited to Linux and Unix users who want one tool for interactive sessions and script execution. It can run as an interactive shell or execute scripts…

Read the review →

Fish is a free, open-source command-line shell for people who value interactive guidance while working in a terminal. It runs on macOS, Linux, BSD, and Windows environments including WSL, Cygwin, and MSYS2. Syntax highlighting,…

Read the review →
  1. BashCommand-Line Shells 9.3Free plan
  2. FishCommand-Line Shells 8.7Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • Bash — where it wins

    • Supports interactive sessions and non-interactive shell scripts
    • Includes Readline editing, command history, and programmable completion
    • Provides job control in interactive sessions

    Where it doesn't

    • Shell startup behavior requires understanding login and interactive files
    • Documentation is the listed support channel
    • Its scripting language is specific to Bash

  • Fish — where it wins

    • Highlights command syntax and suggests commands from history, completions, and file paths.
    • Offers navigable tab completion plus general and command-specific scripted completions.
    • Includes fish scripting, built-in help, and browser-based configuration.

    Where it doesn't

    • Uses its own fish scripting language rather than a listed alternative shell language.
    • Support channels are documentation and community.
    • Does not include AI features or a package manager.
  • Bash9.3/10 · Free plan

    A free, open-source shell for interactive command-line work and scripting.

    Visit GNU BashFull verdict →
  • Fish8.7/10 · Free plan

    Fish pairs history-based suggestions with rich completion and a browser-based configuration interface.

    Visit FishFull verdict →

More comparisons

All Command-Line shells comparisons → · Full ranking →

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

Last updated · How we research and update