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less vs bat: catalog facts
less	bat
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source, dual licensed under the Apache 2.0 and MIT licences.
macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Preinstalled on most Linux, Unix and macOS systems Actively maintained with regular releases	Syntax highlighting for a very large number of languages Git integration showing added and modified lines in the margin
Terminal only, with no graphical interface No syntax highlighting or structured views without extra tools	Command line only Slower than cat on very large files because of the highlighting
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: Apache-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.