Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

clink VS PowerShell

Compare clink VS PowerShell and see what are their differences

clink logo clink

Clink enhances your productivity in Microsoft Windows' "cmd.exe".

PowerShell logo PowerShell

Download WMF. Windows Management Framework contains the latest versions of PowerShell, DSC, WMI, and WinRM for older versions of Windows. PowerShell Module Browser. Search for PowerShell modules and cmdlets.
  • clink Landing page
    Landing page //
    2019-03-19
  • PowerShell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-14

We recommend LibHunt PowerShell for discovery and comparisons of trending PowerShell projects.

clink features and specs

  • Enhanced Command Line Experience
    Clink provides improved command line editing and navigation with features such as autocompletion and persistent history.
  • Integration with Cmd.exe
    Clink seamlessly integrates with Cmd.exe, allowing users to access powerful features without replacing their existing command line interface.
  • Customizability
    Users can customize Clink's behavior and appearance with Lua scripts, offering flexibility to tailor the tool to individual preferences.
  • Open Source
    Being open source, Clink allows users to contribute to its development and review its code for security and reliability.
  • Compatibility
    Clink is designed to be compatible with existing Windows command line tools and scripts, reducing potential disruption.

Possible disadvantages of clink

  • Limited to Windows
    Clink is primarily designed for Windows, so users on other operating systems cannot take advantage of its features.
  • Dependency on Cmd.exe
    As Clink enhances the existing Cmd.exe, it inherits the limitations of the Windows command shell environment.
  • Learning Curve
    Users may need time to learn and configure Clink optimally, particularly when using custom scripts or advanced features.
  • Potential for Bugs
    As with many software tools, users might encounter bugs or compatibility issues, especially with new updates or custom scripts.
  • Community Support
    Although Clink has a user community, it might not be as extensive as more prominent tools, possibly limiting support and resources.

PowerShell features and specs

  • Integration with Windows
    PowerShell is tightly integrated with the Windows operating system, allowing for easy manipulation of system components such as the registry, file system, and event logs.
  • Object-oriented output
    PowerShell outputs objects rather than plain text, making it easier to manipulate and pass data between different commands and scripts.
  • Rich Scripting Capabilities
    PowerShell includes robust scripting capabilities, supporting loops, conditionals, and error handling, which allows for the automation of complex tasks.
  • Extensibility
    PowerShell can be extended with custom cmdlets and modules, and it supports .NET Framework libraries, enabling powerful and flexible functionalities.
  • Remote Management
    PowerShell offers remote management capabilities through PowerShell Remoting, allowing administrators to run commands and scripts on remote systems efficiently.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    With the introduction of PowerShell Core, it has become cross-platform, running on Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Possible disadvantages of PowerShell

  • Steep Learning Curve
    PowerShell's syntax and concepts can be challenging for beginners, especially those without prior programming or scripting experience.
  • Performance Issues
    PowerShell scripts can be slower compared to compiled code, making it less suitable for performance-critical applications.
  • Complexity
    The rich feature set and extensive capabilities can make PowerShell scripts complex and harder to maintain, especially for large-scale operations.
  • Security Risks
    If not properly managed, PowerShell can be used to execute malicious scripts, posing security risks in environments where execution policy and script signing are not enforced.
  • Dependency on .NET Framework
    PowerShell's dependency on the .NET Framework may pose compatibility issues for specific modules or scripts, especially when operating in environments where the .NET Framework is not fully supported.
  • Limited GUI support
    PowerShell is primarily a command-line tool and lacks the native GUI capabilities found in some other scripting environments or management consoles.

Analysis of PowerShell

Overall verdict

  • Yes, PowerShell is highly regarded as a reliable and effective tool for automation and management tasks, particularly in Windows environments. The detailed documentation on learn.microsoft.com makes it accessible and useful for both beginners and experienced users.

Why this product is good

  • PowerShell, as documented on learn.microsoft.com, is a versatile and powerful scripting language designed by Microsoft for task automation and configuration management. It's particularly beneficial due to its deep integration with Windows and other Microsoft products, allowing users to automate complex administrative tasks, manage system resources efficiently, and handle various IT environments. The official documentation provides comprehensive resources, tutorials, and examples that facilitate learning and mastering the tool effectively.

Recommended for

  • System Administrators
  • IT Professionals
  • Developers working with Windows environments
  • Individuals looking to automate Windows tasks
  • Users interested in managing Microsoft services and applications

clink videos

The Clink Room Massive Unboxing Review

More videos:

  • Review - EP37 - Hat Club x Clink Room

PowerShell videos

Logitech Powershell Review!

More videos:

  • Review - iPhone Gamepad - Logitech Powershell Review
  • Review - What is the difference between Cmd, PowerShell, and Bash? | One Dev Question

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to clink and PowerShell)
SSH
7 7%
93% 93
Productivity
100 100%
0% 0
Server Management
4 4%
96% 96
Cryptocurrencies
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

Share your experience with using clink and PowerShell. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PowerShell should be more popular than clink. It has been mentiond 23 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

clink mentions (5)

  • PowerShell history
    Hi all Does anybody knows if exist as simple as useful solution for permanent PowerShell / VMware PowerCLI / Exchange Management Shell / Veeam Backup for Microsoft 365 PowerShell etc etc history as for CMD exist? (instead of for example manually cumulated commands in one file in PowerShell ISE) Here is solution for CMD: Clink (mridgers.github.io) Cheers Artur. Source: over 2 years ago
  • Do you think that Windows 11 will be finished by 5th October?
    It's meh, but this extension for CMD is the shit. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Windows Terminal Quake Mode
    Https://mridgers.github.io/clink/ gives you readline editing in cmd.exe. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
  • Windows Terminal Quake Mode
    Clink [https://mridgers.github.io/clink/] adds this functionality and much more to good old fashioned command prompt (which I prefer to powershell because it's much faster and simpler). - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago
  • Windows Terminal Quake Mode
    Ah, then we're talking about different things. What you're describing is incremental history search, and you can get that even for cmd.exe with Clink[1]. [1]: https://mridgers.github.io/clink/. - Source: Hacker News / about 4 years ago

PowerShell mentions (23)

  • FeiFlow - An Opinioned Git Branching And Release Management Strategy
    Addressing these concerns requires safeguards and automation. Our "in-house" solution is based on powershell for git scripting and logic and ADO tools set for git repo hosting, tracking, planning, linking, building, execution, and querying purposes. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • If you have no experience, learn Powershell (or Python)
    The official PowerShell documentation (specifically, the PowerShell 101 and About topics) is a great place to start. Source: over 1 year ago
  • Best resource to learn PowerShell?
    Really sorry about that this was the link I embedded https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/. Source: almost 2 years ago
  • Feeling pretty down/demoralized. Any suggestions on easy wins for my team?
    - Pick something unique to your team that’s an irritant and find a way to automate it. We used Powershell to do this ourselves, but I know people also use BASH. Source: about 2 years ago
  • Unexpected behaviour when processing large file with StreamReader
    Uh, what? https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/powershell/ is not official to you? Source: over 2 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing clink and PowerShell, you can also consider the following products

fish shell - The friendly interactive shell.

MobaXterm - Enhanced terminal for Windows with X11 server, tabbed SSH client, network tools and much more

win-bash - win-bash is a Windows port of the famous GNU bash (see GNU Bash homepage).

ConEmu - ConEmu-Maximus5 is a full-featured local terminal for Windows devs, admins and users. Get better console window with tabs, splits, Quake style, copy+paste, DosBox and PuTTY integration, and much more.

Cosight - Peer feedback, behavior tracking, and shared goals

PuTTY - Popular free terminal application. Mostly used as an SSH client.