z

Name: z
Author: rupa

A shell script that tracks your most used directories and jumps to them by partial name.

ProprietaryBy rupa

FreeProprietarymacOS Linux Command line

Official websitegithub.com

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1 more way to get z

Homebrewbrew install z

Alternatives

Zsh-zZsh-z provides the same frecency-ranked jumping written natively in Zsh with tab completion, but it only works in Zsh, so Bash users lose support.
z.luaz.lua learns frequently used folders like z and runs on Windows and POSIX shells with a ranger integration, but it needs a Lua interpreter installed.
zoxidezoxide jumps to frequently used directories like z but ships as one binary supporting Bash, Zsh, Fish, Nushell, PowerShell and Elvish, with optional fzf integration and an MIT licence.
wdwd jumps to directories through named bookmarks you add by hand instead of learning from usage, and it is made for Zsh rather than Bash.
fzf-marksfzf-marks lets Bash and Zsh users fuzzy-search manually saved directory bookmarks, but it requires fzf and does not learn directories automatically like z does.
ZLocationA PowerShell module that jumps to frequently used directories by matching part of their path.

See all alternatives

About z

z records the directories you visit in bash or zsh and ranks them by frecency, a mix of how often and how recently you used them. Typing z followed by part of a name, or several regular expressions, changes to the best match.

Options list matches, restrict to the current directory, or rank by rank or recency alone. It is a single script you source from your shell configuration. Changes are now rare; the last update was in December 2023.

Strengths

Single shell script with no dependencies to install
Frecency ranking learns from your habits
Matches on partial names and regular expressions

Limitations

Supports only bash and zsh
Rarely updated; last change in December 2023
WTFPL is not an OSI-approved licence

Details

Pricing: FreeFree, released under the WTFPL.
License: Proprietary (WTFPL)
Developer: rupa
Platforms: macOS, Linux, Command line
How it runs: Downloadable app
Account: Not required
Works offline: Yes
Best suited for: Bash and zsh users who move between the same directories all day
Categories: CLI tools
Last verified: October 2, 2026
Added: October 2, 2026
Sources: github.com/rupa/z

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