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PowerShell

PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation and configuration management framework, consisting of a command-line shell and scripting language. It allows administrators to control and automate administration tasks on Windows and other operating systems.

What is PowerShell?

PowerShell is a cross-platform task automation and configuration management framework from Microsoft, consisting of a command-line shell and an associated scripting language. It provides comprehensive control and automation capabilities for Windows administrators and power users.

Key features and capabilities of PowerShell include:

  • Powerful scripting language integrated with the .NET Framework.
  • Ability to access and manipulate components of the Windows operating system and other Microsoft software.
  • Extensive set of built-in commands (cmdlets) for tasks like managing processes, services, event logs, networks, and more.
  • Support for pipelines, allowing commands to be chained together.
  • Powerful job scheduling and automation capabilities.
  • Remoting for executing commands and scripts on remote systems.
  • Consistent design across Windows, Linux, and macOS systems that use .NET Core.

PowerShell aims to provide Windows administrators and power users, across on-premises and cloud environments, with a single flexible automation platform and environment for managing Windows and other systems. It includes both interactive and scripting tools for IT professionals and developers, with the goal of consolidating and automating administrative tasks.

The Best PowerShell Alternatives

Top Apps like PowerShell

iTerm2, PuTTY, Cygwin, Git Bash, Tabby Terminal, ConEmu, Cmder, KiTTY, MSYS2, GNOME Terminal, JuiceSSH, Solar-PuTTY, LXTerminal, Kitty terminal, PowerCmd, Blink Shell, superconsole, Android Terminal Emulator, WindTerm, MacTerm, Make Batch Files, gow, PentestBox, win-bash, WezTerm, MATE Terminal, TEXTREME, mintty, Nu Shell, Fluent Terminal, Pantheon Terminal, CMD++, ConsoleZ, Take Command, TCC/LE, ToolPakCloud, ROXTerm, wsltty, FireCMD, Closh, Hamilton C shell, Colorconsole, PyCmd, Elvish, mrxvt are some alternatives to PowerShell.

ITerm2

iTerm2 is an open-source terminal emulator for macOS that serves as a replacement for the default Terminal application. It comes packed with useful features for developers, coders, and other power users.Some key features of iTerm2 include: - Split panes allow you to open multiple terminal sessions in one window...

PuTTY

PuTTY is a widely used terminal emulator and SSH client that provides a user-friendly interface for connecting to remote servers and devices. It was initially developed for Microsoft Windows but has been adapted for other platforms as well. PuTTY is known for its simplicity, reliability, and support for various network...

Cygwin

Cygwin is a large collection of GNU and Open Source tools which provide functionality similar to a Linux distribution on Windows. It provides a Unix-like API, command line tools (bash, ssh, rsync, etc.) and a large number of libraries to port software running on POSIX systems, such as Linux, BSD...

Git Bash

Git Bash is a terminal emulator and Bash environment for Windows that allows developers to utilize Git version control features and Linux-style command line tools directly within Windows. It includes Git, a popular open source distributed version control system, as well as over 200 Linux command line tools like grep, curl...

Tabby Terminal

Tabby Terminal is a feature-rich, open-source terminal emulator that aims to provide a modern and user-friendly alternative to the default terminal app on Windows, Mac and Linux. It is compatible with most common Unix shells like zsh, bash etc.Some key features and highlights of Tabby Terminal include:Support for...

ConEmu

ConEmu is a feature-rich terminal emulator and console enhancer for Windows. It provides multiple tabs and splits in a single window, allowing you to run and switch between multiple console applications. Some key features of ConEmu:Customizable themes and appearance with fonts, colors, background image, transparency etc.Tabbed interface to...

Cmder

Cmder is a command line emulator for Windows that provides a Linux/Unix-like terminal and environment. It bundles together different command line tools like bash, PowerShell, Git, etc. into one portable application.Some key features of Cmder include:Portability - As a single .exe file, Cmder can run directly off...

KiTTY

KiTTY is an enhanced fork of PuTTY, the popular open-source Telnet and SSH client for Windows. It retains the familiar interface of PuTTY while adding many useful features that are missing in the original.Some of the major features added in KiTTY include:Session logging - Ability to log all...

MSYS2

MSYS2 is a software distribution for Windows that provides a complete Unix-like environment on top of the Windows OS. It includes support for the bash shell, GNU compilers and build tools, and a pacman package manager for installing additional software.Key features of MSYS2 include:Bash shell and common Unix...

GNOME Terminal

GNOME Terminal is a popular, free, and open source terminal emulator for Linux and other Unix-like operating systems. It comes pre-installed with most Linux distributions that use the GNOME desktop environment, such as Ubuntu, Linux Mint, and Fedora. As a terminal emulator, GNOME Terminal provides access to the command line...

JuiceSSH

JuiceSSH is a popular SSH and terminal client app for Android. It enables you to securely connect to Linux or Unix servers, routers, switches, or other devices directly from your Android phone or tablet.Some key features of JuiceSSH include:Clean and intuitive interface with tabbed terminalsSupports multiple simultaneous SSH...

Solar-PuTTY

Solar-PuTTY is an enhanced, open-source version of the popular PuTTY SSH and telnet client for Windows. It provides all the functionality of PuTTY, allowing you to securely connect to Linux/UNIX servers, routers, and other devices via SSH or telnet protocols.The key advantages of Solar-PuTTY over standard PuTTY are...

LXTerminal

LXTerminal is a fast, lightweight, and user-friendly terminal emulator for Linux systems. It is designed to use minimal system resources while still providing a functional and intuitive terminal environment.Some key features of LXTerminal include:Low memory and CPU usage - ideal for older hardware or resource-constrained systemsTabbed interface for...

Kitty terminal

Kitty is a terminal emulator that prioritizes speed, efficiency, and modern features. Some key aspects of Kitty:It utilizes GPU rendering to draw text, making everything from scrolling to opening new tabs much faster than traditional terminals.Supports Unicode and emoji out of the box with font ligatures for readability...

PowerCmd

PowerCmd is a powerful command-line interface and scripting tool used to manage VMware vSphere environments. It provides automation capabilities to administrators by exposing vSphere APIs through an easy-to-use shell and comprehensive set of cmdlets.Key capabilities and benefits of PowerCmd include:Automating day-to-day virtualization tasks like virtual machine deployment, configuration...

Blink Shell

Blink Shell is an SSH client application designed specifically for mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. It provides secure command line interface access to remote servers over SSH (Secure Shell).Some of the key features of Blink Shell include:Intuitive terminal interface optimized for touchscreensSupport for public/private key authenticationFully...

Superconsole

Superconsole is a versatile and feature-rich video game console emulator. It enables users to easily play classic games from over 50 retro gaming systems, including Nintendo, Sega, Sony, and Arcade platforms, on modern Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS devices.The software accurately replicates the graphics, sound, and overall gaming experience...

Android Terminal Emulator

Android Terminal Emulator is a powerful terminal emulator and Linux command line shell for Android. It allows Android users to access a Linux terminal environment directly on their Android device.Some key features of Android Terminal Emulator include:Full Linux terminal emulation with support for running shell commands and scriptsSSH...

WindTerm

WindTerm is a free, open-source, and lightweight terminal emulator for Windows. It aims to provide a modern and user-friendly terminal experience with features such as:Multiple tabbed terminalsHorizontal and vertical split panesCustomizable themes and stylesTransparency effects and background image supportShortcut keys for common operationsSupports PowerShell, Command Prompt, WSL, Git Bash...

MacTerm

MacTerm is a popular terminal emulator application designed specifically for the macOS operating system. It provides users with a command line interface to access the Unix shell and run various commands and programs in a text-based environment.Some of the key features of MacTerm include:Supports common Unix shells like...

Make Batch Files

Make Batch Files is a lightweight, downloadable Windows application designed to make it easy for anyone to create useful batch files. It provides an intuitive graphical interface with helpful tools like:Syntax highlighting and code completion for batch scriptingA library of predefined batch commands and code snippets to insertOptions to...

Gow

Gow is an open-source terminal emulator and multiplexer for Linux/UNIX systems. It is designed as an alternative to default terminal emulators like GNOME Terminal or Konsole, with more features and customization options.Some of the key features of Gow include:Multiple panes and split layouts - Gow allows splitting...

PentestBox

PentestBox is an open source Linux distribution based on Debian that comes preinstalled with hundreds of popular hacking and penetration testing tools. It is designed to be run as a virtual machine inside VirtualBox, VMware, or other virtualization platforms to provide an isolated, disposable environment for practicing ethical hacking techniques...

Win-bash

Win-bash is an open-source command line interface and Linux environment for Windows. It provides a Bash shell and Linux-like tools and utilities to allow users to run Linux/UNIX commands natively on Windows.Key features of win-bash include:Bash shell and common Bash commandsCore Linux utilities like sed, awk, grep...

WezTerm

WezTerm is a GPU-accelerated terminal emulator and multiplexer designed as an alternative to traditional terminal emulators like gnome-terminal, iTerm2, or the default terminal app in Windows. It is written in Rust and aims to provide performance and features not found in other terminals.Some key features of WezTerm include:Hardware-accelerated...

MATE Terminal

MATE Terminal is a terminal emulator application designed for use with the MATE desktop environment on Linux systems. It provides users with access to a text-based command-line interface (shell) such as Bash, Zsh, Fish etc. that allows executing commands and automating tasks on Linux.As a terminal emulator, MATE Terminal...

TEXTREME

TEXTREME is a free and open-source text and code editor software. It is designed to be lightweight and customizable, yet powerful enough for most text editing, coding, and web development tasks.Some key features of TEXTREME include:Syntax highlighting support for over 100 programming languages and file formatsIntelligent auto-completion and suggestion...

Mintty

mintty is an open source terminal emulator for Windows that provides an enhanced terminal environment compared to the default Windows console host. Some of the major features of mintty include:Ability to resize the terminal window easily, support for fullscreen modeClipboard access allowing copy/paste from and to the terminalSupport...

Nu Shell

Nu Shell (also called Nushell or Nu) is an open source command shell and scripting language created by GitHub co-founder Jonathon Turner and released under the MIT license. It focuses on improving the command-line interface and workflow compared to traditional Unix shells like Bash or Zsh.Key features and goals...

Fluent Terminal

Fluent Terminal is a feature-rich terminal emulator for Windows, Mac and Linux operating systems. It provides a sleek, customizable interface to enhance productivity for developers, sysadmins, and power users who spend a lot of time working on the command line.Key features of Fluent Terminal include:Multi-tab interface to run...

Pantheon Terminal

Pantheon Terminal is a fast and lightweight terminal emulator designed for the Pantheon desktop environment on elementary OS. It focuses on providing a simple, easy-to-use interface while still allowing powerful terminal capabilities.Some key features of Pantheon Terminal include:Minimal and stylish UI that integrates well into the Pantheon desktopSupport...

CMD++

CMD++ is an enhanced command prompt for Windows that provides additional functionality beyond the default command prompt included with the operating system.Some key features of CMD++ include:Multiple tabbed interfaces - allows you to open multiple command prompts within one window and easily switch between themBuilt-in text editor -...

ConsoleZ

ConsoleZ is an open-source tabbed terminal emulator and shell enhancement utility for Windows. It provides multiple tabs and splits in a single window to manage multiple console or command-line interfaces simultaneously. Some of its major features include:Tabbed interface for running multiple command prompts, PowerShells, WSL distros, etc. in a...

Take Command

Take Command is a feature-rich command line interface and scripting environment for Windows. It was created by developerJP Software as an enhanced replacement for the standard Windows Command Prompt.Some of the key features and capabilities of Take Command include:Support for multiple tabbed command promptsA large collection of over...

TCC/LE

TCC/LE (Total Cost of Ownership/Lifecycle Estimator) is an open source software tool developed by the U.S. General Services Administration to help IT decision makers analyze the total cost of ownership of different types of software solutions. It calculates cost estimates over a multi-year lifecycle to help compare...

ToolPakCloud

ToolPakCloud is a comprehensive cloud-based infrastructure and application monitoring platform designed for modern, dynamic IT environments. It provides real-time visibility and actionable insights across physical, virtual, and cloud infrastructure, helping IT teams optimize performance, improve uptime, and reduce costs.Key capabilities and benefits include:Unified visibility - Monitor the health...

ROXTerm

ROXTerm is a powerful and customizable terminal emulator for Linux. It includes the following key features:Tabbed interface allowing multiple terminal sessions in one windowSplit tabs horizontally or vertically for flexible terminal layoutsCustomizable keyboard shortcuts for opening new tabs, switching tabs, etc.Support for Unicode and UTF-8 character encodingLight and...

Wsltty

WSLtty is an open-source console emulator and enhancement tool designed for use with the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). It aims to provide a powerful and customizable terminal environment for running Linux command-line applications and tools on Windows 10 and 11.Some of the key features and benefits of wsltty include:Mouse...

FireCMD

FireCMD is a free and open-source terminal emulator and command-line interface for Windows. It is designed to be lightweight, customizable, and portable so you can take it with you on a USB drive.Some key features of FireCMD include:Multiple tabbed interfaces so you can have multiple command prompts openText...

Closh

Closh is an open-source alternative to AWS CloudShell that provides an integrated shell for managing cloud resources. It is designed to simplify cloud operations by enabling users to easily access their various cloud accounts, resources, and tooling all from one easy-to-use command line interface.Some key features of Closh include...

Hamilton C shell

The Hamilton C shell, also known as hcsh or Hamilton shell, is a Unix shell programming language based on the C language. It serves as an alternative shell to the traditionally used Bourne shell (sh), providing additional functionality and features aimed at boosting programmer productivity.Some of the key features...

Colorconsole

Colorconsole is a free and open-source terminal emulator for Windows operating systems. Developed as an alternative to the default Windows console, Colorconsole provides more customization options and features for power users and developers.Some of the key features of Colorconsole include:Fully customizable interface with support for changing font, colors...

PyCmd

PyCmd is an open-source command prompt replacement and scripting environment for Windows based on the Python programming language. It provides an alternative to the standard Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe) with additional features and Python integration.Some of the key features of PyCmd include:Ability to run Python scripts and...

Elvish

Elvish is an open source shell and scripting language for Linux/UNIX systems. It aims to combine the interactivity and convenience of shells like bash or zsh with the rich features and programmability of scripting languages like Python or Ruby.Some key features of Elvish include:Expressive pipeline syntax for...

Mrxvt

mrxvt is a fork of the rxvt terminal emulator for X11 environments. It is intended to be a lightweight and high-performance alternative to rxvt and other terminal emulators.Some of the key features of mrxvt include:Tabbed interface - allows multiple terminal sessions to be accessed through tabsTransparency and background...