fish vs zsh : Which is Better?

fish icon

fish

fish is a smart and user-friendly command line shell for macOS, Linux, and the rest of the family.

License: Open Source

Categories: OS & Utilities

Apps available for Mac OS X Linux BSD

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zsh icon

zsh

The Z shell (zsh) is a Unix shell that can be used as an interactive login shell and as a powerful command interpreter for shell scripting.

License: Open Source

Categories: OS & Utilities

Apps available for Linux BSD

fish VS zsh

Fish is designed for simplicity and ease of use, making it ideal for beginners and those who prefer a user-friendly interface. Zsh, on the other hand, offers extensive customization and compatibility with Bash, catering to advanced users and developers who require deeper control over their shell environment.

fish

Pros:

  • Extremely user-friendly with a focus on ease of use
  • Automatic suggestions based on history
  • Modern features such as syntax highlighting and tab completions
  • Designed to be interactive and user-friendly
  • Well-documented with an active community

Cons:

  • Limited compatibility with traditional Bash scripts
  • Less customizable than Zsh
  • Fewer resources for advanced users compared to Zsh
  • Some advanced features may be lacking

zsh

Pros:

  • Highly customizable with a large number of plugins
  • Good compatibility with Bash scripts
  • Strong community support and resources
  • Advanced features for power users
  • Supports a wide range of themes and configurations

Cons:

  • Steeper learning curve for beginners
  • Configuration can be complex for new users
  • Performance can be slower in some cases compared to Fish
  • Requires more manual setup for optimal use

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