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Head-to-head · Command-Line Shells

Fish vs OpenBSD KornShell (ksh)

  • Updated Oct 2026
  • Both researched from official sources
  • 4 checks side by side
Higher score Fish #3 in Command-Line Shells 8.7/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit Fish
OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) #6 in Command-Line Shells 8.1/10 Free plan Free plan✓ 2 of 3 features Visit site

Fish leads on 0 checks, OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) 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 scoreFish · 8.7/10
  • Free planboth

Fish scores higher on our rubric for command-line shells: 8.7 against 8.1 out of 10; our editors rank them #3 and #6.

Fish is the better fit for interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion. OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) is the better fit for openBSD users preferring KornShell-style scripting.

  • Fish fits best

    Interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion

  • OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) fits best

    OpenBSD users preferring KornShell-style scripting

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 Fish 8.7/10 Visit ↗ OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) 8.1/10 Visit ↗
At a glance
Editor score 8.7 8.1
Ranking #3 in Command-Line Shells #6 in Command-Line Shells
Best for Interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion OpenBSD users preferring KornShell-style scripting
Pricing model Free Free
Starting price Not published Not published
Free plan ✓ ✓
Free trial — —
Support Docs, Community Docs
Built for Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise Solo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise
Features Fish 2/3 · OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) 2/3
Package manager — Not published
Config file support ✓ ✓
Command completion ✓ ✓
Specs
Supported platforms macOS, Linux, BSD, and Windows environments (WSL, Cygwin, MSYS2) OpenBSD
Scripting language fish KornShell language (superset of sh)
Our review
Pros
  • 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.
  • Combines interactive command use with a language superset of sh.
  • Includes arrays, functions, arithmetic expansion, and job control.
  • Offers vi or Emacs editing plus command and file-name completion.
Cons
  • 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.
  • Its listed supported platform is limited to OpenBSD.
  • Its command language may not suit users seeking another shell style.
  • Documentation is the listed support channel.
Our verdict

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 →

OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) is the OpenBSD Project's command interpreter for interactive sessions and shell scripts. It is aimed at people who want KornShell-style scripting alongside command-line work in an OpenBSD environment. Its language…

Read the review →
  1. FishCommand-Line Shells 8.7Free plan
  2. OpenBSD KornShell (ksh)Command-Line Shells 8.1Free plan

Strengths and trade-offs

  • 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.

  • OpenBSD KornShell (ksh) — where it wins

    • Combines interactive command use with a language superset of sh.
    • Includes arrays, functions, arithmetic expansion, and job control.
    • Offers vi or Emacs editing plus command and file-name completion.

    Where it doesn't

    • Its listed supported platform is limited to OpenBSD.
    • Its command language may not suit users seeking another shell style.
    • Documentation is the listed support channel.
  • Fish8.7/10 · Free plan

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

    Visit FishFull verdict →
  • OpenBSD KornShell (ksh)8.1/10 · Free plan

    OpenBSD ksh pairs KornShell scripting with interactive editing and completion on OpenBSD.

    Visit siteFull 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