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Elvish vs GNU Bash: catalog facts
ElvishGNU Bash
Free

Free and open source.

Free

Free software from the GNU Project.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line macOS, Linux, Command line
  • Readable scripts with lists, maps and functions
  • Catches errors like undefined variables before running
  • Runs most existing sh scripts without modification
  • Command-line editing, history and job control
  • Not POSIX compatible, so Bash scripts do not run unchanged
  • Smaller ecosystem than Bash, Zsh or Fish
  • Fewer interactive conveniences out of the box than shells like zsh or fish
  • Releases are distributed as source tarballs; most people get it from their system package manager
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: BSD-2-Clause License: GPL-3.0-or-later
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Works offline

Checked September 24, 2026

Checked October 1, 2026

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