Compare software

ble.sh vs fast-syntax-highlighting: catalog facts
ble.sh	fast-syntax-highlighting

Best for: Bash users who want fish-style highlighting and suggestions without switching shells	Best for: Zsh users who want a colored, easier to read command line
Free Free to use, with source published on GitHub.	Free Free and open source, maintained by the zdharma-continuum community.
Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Syntax highlighting and autosuggestions without leaving Bash Vim editing modes for the command line Written in pure Bash, so no compiled components Long-running project with a large commit history	Highlights commands, paths and strings as you type Multiple themes with a command to switch between them Per-command chroma highlighting, for example for Git
Only for Bash interactive sessions Can add startup time and overhead compared with plain Bash	Works only in Zsh Overlaps with zsh-syntax-highlighting, so use one or the other
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for ble.sh github.com/akinomyoga/ble.sh Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fast-syntax-highlighting github.com/zdharma-continuum/fast-syntax-highlighting Catalog checked October 1, 2026

“Not stated” means we have not confirmed it. Features can vary by device and plan.