Suggestions appear as you type. Use the up and down arrows to choose one and Enter to open it.

This page's audience real numbers from our own analytics — open to see them
–Visitors
–Page views
–Clicks to vendors
–Time on page
–Reading now
Clicks to vendors, by tool
  • –
Top countries
  • –
Devices
  • –

– · counted by iTechGuides's own first-party analytics, bots removed, every figure rounded down · how we count

Fish

Free#3 of 27 in Command-Line Shells

Fish: Fish pairs history-based suggestions with rich completion and a browser-based configuration interface. Ranked #3 of 27 in Command-Line Shells by our editors (8.7/10); pricing: Free plan; best for interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion.

8.7/10Editor score
Visit Fish
Fish8.7 Visit Fish

At a glance

  • Editor score
    8.7 / 10
  • Pricing
    Free plan
  • Best for
    Interactive users seeking suggestions and rich completion
  • Free plan
    Yes
  • Paid from
    None
  • Command completion
    Yes
  • Facts checked
    28 Sep 2026

  • 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.

Our verdict on Fish

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, history-based autosuggestions, and tab completion are central to its interactive focus, while its own scripting language supports custom functions. Solo users and teams across company sizes can consider it; its fit depends on whether its shell behavior and scripting language suit their workflows.

The interactive features go beyond basic completion. Fish can suggest commands based on history, completions, and file paths, and its tab completion presents a navigable selection menu. General and command-specific scripted completions add flexibility, while built-in help and command man pages offer guidance from within the shell. A browser-based configuration interface covers functions, variables, history, prompts, and colors, alongside startup-file configuration. This combination is most relevant to users who want suggestions and configuration options without making interactive use an afterthought.

Fish is distributed under the GNU General Public License, version 2, and is self-hosted. Its support channels are documentation and community, so buyers seeking a stated commercial support channel should look elsewhere. The shell uses fish for scripting and does not include a package manager or AI features. Choose Fish if interactive suggestions, completion menus, and its configuration interface match your priorities; consider another shell if you need a different scripting language, an included package manager, or AI capabilities.

Fish pricing

Plans Free planFree Free to use — no paid tier required for the core job.
See plans on fishshell.com

Fish fact sheet

Free planYes
Paid fromNone
Supported platformsmacOS, Linux, BSD, and Windows environments (WSL, Cygwin, MSYS2)
Scripting languagefish
Package managerNo
Config file supportYes
Command completionYes
DeploymentSelf-hosted
PlatformsmacOS, Linux, Windows
SupportDocs, Community
Built forSolo, Small business, Mid-market, Enterprise (editorial estimate)
PricingFree plan
Websitefishshell.com
Facts checked28 Sep 2026

Alternatives to Fish

See all Fish alternatives →

Fish vs the competition

Compare Fish with any tool side by side →

Used Fish? Be the first to review it

The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Fish for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.

Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears

Reviews come only from verified accounts. Sign in or create an account first — your e-mail is never shown.

Your rating

0 characters · at least 80, up to 3,000

Posted from your verified account. Reviews appear after an editor reads them, usually within two working days.

Featured on iTechGuides

Featured on iTechGuides — Fish 8.7/10

Fish is listed in our Command-Line Shells directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.

<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/fish/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/fish.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>

Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

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.

Last updated · How we research and update