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Zi vs Sheldon: catalog facts
Zi	Sheldon

Best for: zsh users with many plugins who care about startup time	Best for: Manage shell plugins from a structured configuration file
Free Free and open source.	Free The open-source software is available without a license fee. Hosting, hardware and external services are separate.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Manages zsh plugins, themes and completions Focused on fast shell startup	Loads local or remote plugins with configurable installation rules.
Only works with zsh Configuration takes some learning	Downloaded plugins run within your shell environment.
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License: MIT OR Apache-2.0
No account needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Offline features available	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Zi github.com/z-shell/zi Catalog checked October 2, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Sources for Sheldon github.com/rossmacarthur/sheldon Catalog checked September 22, 2026

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