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Elvish vs fish: catalog facts
Elvish	fish
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Readable scripts with lists, maps and functions Catches errors like undefined variables before running	Autosuggestions from history appear as you type with no plugins Syntax highlighting shows an invalid command before you run it
Not POSIX compatible, so Bash scripts do not run unchanged Smaller ecosystem than Bash, Zsh or Fish	Not POSIX-compatible, so bash snippets and scripts often need changing No official Windows build
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-2-Clause	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 21, 2026

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