Compare software

fzy vs zf: catalog facts
fzy	zf
Best for: Terminal users who want a lightweight fuzzy picker for scripts and editor plugins	Best for: Picking files by path from the terminal with accurate matching
Free Free and open source.	Free Free to use; the source is published on GitHub.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Command line
Match ranking designed to surface the intended result first Small, simple C program that works well in pipelines All 3 strengths for fzy Match ranking designed to surface the intended result first Small, simple C program that works well in pipelines Scoring algorithm is documented in the repository	Ranking tuned for file names and paths Also usable as a general fuzzy finder All 3 strengths for zf Ranking tuned for file names and paths Also usable as a general fuzzy finder Shell completion files included
Fewer built-in features than fzf, such as previews Releases are infrequent	Smaller ecosystem of integrations than fzf Fewer interface options than larger finders
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fzy github.com/jhawthorn/fzy Catalog checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for zf github.com/natecraddock/zf Catalog checked October 1, 2026

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