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ugrep vs ack: catalog facts
ugrep	ack
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line	Windows, macOS, Linux, Command line
Compatible with grep options Interactive text interface for building queries	Built for searching source code rather than general text Full Perl regular expressions
Large option set takes time to learn Interactive interface is terminal-only	Needs a Perl interpreter Newer tools such as ripgrep are typically faster on very large trees
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: BSD-3-Clause	License: Artistic-2.0
No account needed	No account needed
Works offline	Works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 23, 2026

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