Compare software

Oils vs fish: catalog facts
Oils	fish
Best for: Shell script authors who want a stricter bash or a more modern shell language	Best for: An interactive shell that is pleasant immediately, with nothing to configure
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source under the GPL.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
OSH runs existing bash scripts with stricter error checking YSH adds structured data and JSON support All 4 strengths for Oils OSH runs existing bash scripts with stricter error checking YSH adds structured data and JSON support Both shells in one small binary Detailed reference documentation	Autosuggestions from history appear as you type with no plugins Syntax highlighting shows an invalid command before you run it All 4 strengths for fish Autosuggestions from history appear as you type with no plugins Syntax highlighting shows an invalid command before you run it Tab completions generated from man pages, so they cover real options Works well with no configuration file at all
Still before a 1.0 release YSH is a new language to learn	Not POSIX-compatible, so bash snippets and scripts often need changing No official Windows build All 4 limitations for fish Not POSIX-compatible, so bash snippets and scripts often need changing No official Windows build A smaller plugin ecosystem than zsh Minimum supported macOS version is 10.12
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: GPL-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Oils oils.pub Catalog checked September 24, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for fish github.com/fish-shell/fish-shell Catalog checked September 21, 2026

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