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aqua vs asdf: catalog facts
aqua	asdf
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence, with GitHub Sponsors support.	Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Per-project tool versions from one config file Lazy installation when a tool is first run	One tool and one .tool-versions file replaces nvm, rbenv, pyenv and friends Plugin ecosystem covers hundreds of runtimes and CLI tools
Tools must be listed in its registry or defined by you Focused on CLI tools, not language runtimes or libraries	Shim indirection adds startup latency and occasionally confuses tooling Plugin quality varies since each is community-maintained
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.