Compare software

fzf vs Skim: catalog facts
fzf	Skim
Best for: Picking one thing out of a list of thousands without scrolling	Best for: Terminal users who want to search and select files or command output interactively
Free Free and open source under the MIT licence.	Free Free and open source under the MIT license.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Command line	Command line
Filters any list at all, because it just reads standard input Shell integration gives instant fuzzy command history and file search All 4 strengths for fzf Filters any list at all, because it just reads standard input Shell integration gives instant fuzzy command history and file search Preview windows and key bindings turn scripts into real interfaces Single binary, with Vim and Neovim plugins included	Works as both a filter and an interactive terminal interface Includes shell bindings All 3 strengths for Skim Works as both a filter and an interactive terminal interface Includes shell bindings Has a Vim and Neovim plugin
Command line only, and its real power needs shell scripting Fuzzy matching sometimes surfaces a surprising first result All 4 limitations for fzf Command line only, and its real power needs shell scripting Fuzzy matching sometimes surfaces a surprising first result Key binding setup differs per shell The manual is long because the option set is large	Requires command-line use
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fzf junegunn.github.io/fzf github.com/junegunn/fzf Catalog checked September 21, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Skim github.com/skim-rs/skim Catalog checked October 8, 2026

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