Zsh vs the xonsh shell

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

Zsh is a Os & Utilities solution with tags like commandline, shell, scripting, unix, zsh.

It boasts features such as Powerful tab completion and spelling correction, Advanced globbing syntax for pattern matching filenames, Customizable prompts with color and Git status information, Plugin architecture to extend functionality, Shared command history across sessions, Syntax highlighting for commands and pros including More interactive and customizable than bash, Faster and more advanced tab completion, Better default configuration out of the box, Good for power users and automation, Large plugin ecosystem for added functionality.

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.

Feature	Zsh	the xonsh shell
Overall Score	N/A	N/A
Primary Category	Os & Utilities	Development

Product Overview

Zsh

Description: Zsh is a UNIX command line interpreter and scripting language that is compatible with bash but includes many additional features and customization options. It offers powerful tab completion, spelling correction, better globbing, theming, and plugin support.

the xonsh shell

Description: 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.

Key Features Comparison

Zsh Features

• Powerful tab completion and spelling correction
• Advanced globbing syntax for pattern matching filenames
• Customizable prompts with color and Git status information
• Plugin architecture to extend functionality
• Shared command history across sessions
• Syntax highlighting for commands

the xonsh shell Features

• Python-powered shell
• Cross-platform support
• Unix-style pipes and redirections
• Syntax highlighting
• Tab completion
• Macro support
• History substring search
• Foreign shell command aliases

Pros & Cons Analysis

Zsh

Pros

• More interactive and customizable than bash
• Faster and more advanced tab completion
• Better default configuration out of the box
• Good for power users and automation
• Large plugin ecosystem for added functionality

Cons

• Less POSIX compliant than bash in some cases
• Startup can be slower than bash
• Less widely available than bash by default

the xonsh shell

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

Pricing Comparison

Zsh

• Open Source
• Free

the xonsh shell

• Open Source