Elvish vs the xonsh shell

Struggling to choose between Elvish and the xonsh shell? Both products offer unique advantages, making it a tough decision.

Elvish is a Development solution with tags like shell, scripting, linux, unix.

It boasts features such as Expressive shell syntax, Friendly interactive interface, Scripting capabilities, Pathname expansion, Pipelines, Redirections, Variables and pros including More expressive than Bash, Friendlier than Zsh, Open source with an MIT license.

On the other hand, the xonsh shell is a Development product tagged with python, cli, shell, crossplatform.

Its standout features include Python-powered shell, Cross-platform support, Unix-style pipes and redirections, Syntax highlighting, Tab completion, Macro support, History substring search, Foreign shell command aliases, and it shines with pros like Full Python language support allows advanced scripting, Familiar Python syntax, Interoperability with Python packages and libraries, Powerful automation capabilities, Customizable and extensible.

To help you make an informed decision, we've compiled a comprehensive comparison of these two products, delving into their features, pros, cons, pricing, and more. Get ready to explore the nuances that set them apart and determine which one is the perfect fit for your requirements.

Elvish

Elvish

Elvish is an expressive, friendly and open shell and scripting language for Linux/UNIX. It combines the convenience of interactive shells with the programmability of scripting languages. Elvish supports handy features like pathname expansion, pipelines, redirections and variables.

Categories:
Development Scripting Languages
shell scripting linux unix

Elvish Features

  1. Expressive shell syntax
  2. Friendly interactive interface
  3. Scripting capabilities
  4. Pathname expansion
  5. Pipelines
  6. Redirections
  7. Variables

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

More expressive than Bash

Friendlier than Zsh

Open source with an MIT license

Cons

Less widespread adoption than Bash or Zsh

Fewer plugins and extensions available

the xonsh shell

the xonsh shell

The xonsh shell is a Python-powered, cross-platform, Unix-gazing shell language and command prompt. Xonsh has rich syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and macros that speed up your workflow.

Categories:
Development Shells
python cli shell crossplatform

The xonsh shell Features

  1. Python-powered shell
  2. Cross-platform support
  3. Unix-style pipes and redirections
  4. Syntax highlighting
  5. Tab completion
  6. Macro support
  7. History substring search
  8. Foreign shell command aliases

Pricing

  • Open Source

Pros

Full Python language support allows advanced scripting

Familiar Python syntax

Interoperability with Python packages and libraries

Powerful automation capabilities

Customizable and extensible

Cons

Slower than native shells like bash or zsh

Limited adoption means less community support

Not as fully featured as mature shells like bash

Some platform differences in behavior

Python dependency adds complexity