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Glow vs bat: catalog facts
Glowbat
Free

Free and open source under the MIT licence.

Free

Free and open source, dual licensed under the Apache 2.0 and MIT licences.

Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
  • Finds Markdown files in the current directory tree or the whole git repository on its own
  • Pager keybindings match less, so there is nothing new to learn
  • Syntax highlighting for a very large number of languages
  • Git integration showing added and modified lines in the margin
  • Reading only; it does not edit
  • Terminal rendering cannot show images
  • Command line only
  • Slower than cat on very large files because of the highlighting
Downloadable app Downloadable app
Open source Open source
License: MIT License: Apache-2.0
No account needed No account needed
Works offline Works offline

Checked September 21, 2026

Checked September 21, 2026

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