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Zi vs zgenom: catalog facts
Zi	zgenom

Best for: zsh users with many plugins who care about startup time	Best for: Zsh users who want a fast, minimal plugin manager
Free Free and open source.	Free Free and open source.
macOS, Linux, Command line	macOS, Linux, Command line
Manages zsh plugins, themes and completions Focused on fast shell startup	Generates a static init script for fast shell startup Fully backwards compatible with zgen Simple commands for managing plugins
Only works with zsh Configuration takes some learning	Zsh only Configuration is done by editing your .zshrc, with no interactive interface
Downloadable app	Downloadable app
Open source	Open source
License: MIT	License not stated
No account needed	No account needed
Offline features available	Offline features available
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 zgenom github.com/jandamm/zgenom Catalog checked October 1, 2026

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