Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

CloudShell VS ncdu

Compare CloudShell VS ncdu and see what are their differences

Note: These products don't have any matching categories. If you think this is a mistake, please edit the details of one of the products and suggest appropriate categories.

CloudShell logo CloudShell

Cloud Shell is a free admin machine with browser-based command-line access for managing your infrastructure and applications on Google Cloud Platform.

ncdu logo ncdu

A disk usage analyzer with an ncurses interface, aimed to be run on a remote server where you...
  • CloudShell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-12
  • ncdu Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-05-10

CloudShell features and specs

  • Integrated Environment
    CloudShell provides a fully integrated development environment directly within your browser, including access to Google Cloud resources, pre-installed Google Cloud SDK, and other useful tools.
  • Convenience
    Because it's browser-based, there is no need to install or configure anything locally, which can save considerable setup time and eliminate environment inconsistencies.
  • Security
    Operating within Google's infrastructure can add layers of security, including secure connection to cloud resources and less risk of exposing local machines to vulnerabilities.
  • Access to Project Resources
    Directly connects to Google Cloud resources associated with your account, making it easy to manage and deploy applications within your cloud environment.
  • Scalability
    Seamlessly scalable environment that can handle different workloads without performance degradation.
  • Persistent Storage
    CloudShell offers persistent storage, allowing users to save their work and configurations, which are available in future sessions.
  • Pre-installed Tools
    Includes a range of pre-installed tools, such as git, gcloud SDK, and language libraries, enabling efficient development and deployment workflows.

Possible disadvantages of CloudShell

  • Resource Limits
    CloudShell has usage limits, including limited disk space and CPU, which may not be sufficient for all types of workloads, particularly resource-intensive tasks.
  • Inactive Use Timeouts
    Sessions that are inactive for a period of time may be automatically terminated, which can disrupt ongoing work.
  • Dependency on Internet Connection
    Being a cloud-based solution, a stable internet connection is required. Any disruption in connectivity can hamper development and deployment processes.
  • Latency Issues
    Depending on your geographical location, there may be latency issues which can affect performance and response times.
  • Limited Customization
    While CloudShell provides many pre-installed tools, users have limited control over the environment compared to a locally managed development setup.
  • Paid Subscription Needed for Extensive Use
    Beyond the free tier, extensive usage of CloudShell resources may incur additional costs, which can add up depending on the scale and nature of the tasks.
  • Learning Curve
    New users who are not familiar with Google Cloud's ecosystem may face an initial learning curve to fully leverage CloudShell's capabilities.

ncdu features and specs

  • User-friendly Interface
    Ncdu provides a text-based user interface which is easy to navigate and offers clear, color-coded disk usage visualization.
  • Speed
    Ncdu is designed to be fast and efficient, able to quickly scan and index disk usage information even on large file systems.
  • Low Resource Consumption
    The application consumes minimal system resources, making it suitable for use on systems with limited resources.
  • Interactive
    Ncdu allows users to interactively browse through directories, delete files, and drill down to see detailed disk usage statistics.
  • Portability
    Ncdu is available for multiple platforms, including Linux, BSD, macOS, and Windows, making it versatile across different environments.
  • Open Source
    Being an open-source tool, users can freely inspect the code, suggest features, and contribute to the project.
  • Remote System Compatibility
    Ncdu can be used over SSH, which makes it convenient for managing disk usage on remote servers.

Possible disadvantages of ncdu

  • Limited Advanced Features
    Ncdu primarily focuses on disk usage analysis and lacks some advanced features found in other tools such as detailed file metadata or advanced filtering options.
  • Text-based Interface Limitation
    While the text-based interface is quick and efficient, it may not be as intuitive or visually appealing as GUI-based disk usage analyzers for some users.
  • No Built-in Reporting
    Ncdu does not offer built-in functionality for generating comprehensive reports. Users have to manually compile data if detailed reports are needed.
  • Potential Learning Curve
    Beginners or users unfamiliar with command-line tools may find it challenging to get started and utilize all of ncdu's features effectively.
  • Lack of Detailed Visualization
    While ncdu offers a visual representation of disk usage, it doesn't provide more advanced visualizations like pie charts or graphs.

Analysis of CloudShell

Overall verdict

  • Yes, CloudShell is a good tool, especially for those who are actively using Google Cloud Platform. It provides a user-friendly interface and a comprehensive set of tools to manage cloud resources effectively. Its convenience, combined with the power of GCP, makes it a valuable asset for cloud-based development and operations.

Why this product is good

  • CloudShell is a versatile tool offered by Google Cloud Platform (GCP) that provides a command-line environment directly in your web browser. It is particularly beneficial for developers and system administrators because it allows them to manage GCP resources easily without needing to install additional software on their local machines. CloudShell includes the Google Cloud SDK, along with other essential tools, making it a convenient and efficient option for cloud management tasks. Additionally, it offers persistent storage, allowing users to save their scripts and data between sessions. The integration with other GCP services enhances productivity by providing seamless access and control.

Recommended for

  • Developers who frequently work with Google Cloud Platform
  • System administrators managing GCP resources
  • New users of Google Cloud who need an easy introduction to command-line tools
  • Teams collaborating on GCP projects, as it supports session sharing

Analysis of ncdu

Overall verdict

  • Yes, ncdu is considered a good tool for disk usage analysis due to its efficiency, speed, and ease of use. It is well-suited for users who want a lightweight and straightforward solution without the need for graphical interfaces.

Why this product is good

  • ncdu (NCurses Disk Usage) is a disk usage analyzer with an ncurses interface. It is designed to provide a fast and easy way to view and manage disk space usage on your system. With its simple text-based interface, you can quickly navigate directories and identify which files or directories are consuming the most space. This tool is particularly useful for system administrators and users who prefer working in a terminal environment.

Recommended for

  • System administrators who need to quickly identify disk space usage issues.
  • Users who prefer command-line tools over graphical user interfaces.
  • Anyone managing servers or computers remotely through SSH.
  • Those looking for a lightweight and efficient way to manage disk space on Unix-like systems.

CloudShell videos

No CloudShell videos yet. You could help us improve this page by suggesting one.

Add video

ncdu videos

ncdu - NCurses Disk Usage Utility - Linux TUI

More videos:

  • Review - Lubuntu Screencast: Showing size of folders with du and ncdu
  • Review - Terminal File Manager - Amazing file manager in Terminal NCDU

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to CloudShell and ncdu)
Text Editors
100 100%
0% 0
Disk Analyzer
0 0%
100% 100
Development
100 100%
0% 0
Hard Disk Usage
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using CloudShell and ncdu. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, ncdu should be more popular than CloudShell. It has been mentiond 24 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.

CloudShell mentions (13)

  • GCP Fundamentals: Cloud Shell API
    The Google Cloud Shell API empowers organizations to automate cloud operations, accelerate software delivery, and improve efficiency. By providing a programmatic interface for managing Cloud Shell environments, the API unlocks new possibilities for developers, SREs, and data teams. Explore the official documentation and try the hands-on lab to experience the benefits of the Cloud Shell API firsthand. ... - Source: dev.to / about 1 year ago
  • Intro to the YouTube APIs: searching for videos
    Command-line (gcloud) -- Those who prefer working in a terminal can enable APIs with a single command in the Cloud Shell or locally on your computer if you installed the Cloud SDK which includes the gcloud command-line tool (CLI) and initialized its use. If this is you, issue this command to enable the API: gcloud services enable youtube.googleapis.com Confirm all the APIs you've enabled with this command:... - Source: dev.to / about 2 years ago
  • Explore the world with Google Maps APIs
    Gcloud/command-line - Finally, for those more inclined to using the command-line, you can enable APIs with a single command in the Cloud Shell or locally on your computer if you installed the Cloud SDK (which includes the gcloud command-line tool [CLI]) and initialized its use. If this is you, issue the following command to enable all three APIs: gcloud services enable geocoding-backend.googleapis.com... - Source: dev.to / over 2 years ago
  • Getting started with the Google Cloud CLI interactive shell for serverless developers
    While you might find that using the Google Cloud online console or Cloud Shell environment meets your occasional needs, for maximum developer efficiency you will want to install the Google Cloud CLI (gcloud) on your own system where you already have your favorite editor or IDE and git set up. - Source: dev.to / almost 4 years ago
  • Cloud desktops aren't as good as you'd think
    Here is the product https://cloud.google.com/shell It has a quick start guide and docs. - Source: Hacker News / almost 4 years ago
View more

ncdu mentions (24)

  • Anthropic Cowork feature creates 10GB VM bundle on macOS without warning
    Something like https://dev.yorhel.nl/ncdu with ("brew install ncdu") is great if you are okay with the command line. It's very annoying to drill down in the Finder especially if it's hidden directories. - Source: Hacker News / 6 months ago
  • How to clean your virtual server (VPS)
    For an even more detailed analysis, take a look at tools such as ncdu, a disk usage viewer in terminal mode. - Source: dev.to / over 1 year ago
  • Ask HN: Interesting TUIs (text user interfaces), maybe forgotten ones?
    These certainly aren't forgotten, but I like: * `ranger` file manager: https://ranger.github.io/ * `ncdu` for visualising disk usage: https://dev.yorhel.nl/ncdu * `htop` process monitor: https://htop.dev/ I just find them very intuitive, and information-dense while not being overwhelming. - Source: Hacker News / over 2 years ago
  • What’s using my drive space?
    There are also more user-friendly and interactive tools to do this. I use and like ncdu, but there are others, such as duc. Source: about 3 years ago
  • The Most Useful Command Line Tools (2023 edition)
    In the same way of Dust, there is also NCDU which is an NCruses-based du interface, i.e. interactive. Source: over 3 years ago
View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing CloudShell and ncdu, you can also consider the following products

GitHub Codespaces - GItHub Codespaces is a hosted remote coding environment by GitHub based on Visual Studio Codespaces integrated directly for GitHub.

Baobab Disk Usage Analyzer - Baobab Disk Usage Analyzer is one of the light-weight disk analyzers that offers you a chance to view and monitor the disk usage & folder structure without any hassle.

CodeTasty - CodeTasty is a programming platform for developers in the cloud.

DiskUsage - DiskUsage provides a way to find out which files and directories on the SD card of your Android...

Glitch - Glitch is the friendly community where everyone builds the web. Simple, powerful interface for creating web apps.

WinDirStat - WinDirStat is a disk usage statistics viewer and cleanup tool, inspired by KDirStat.