Software Alternatives & Startups

fish shell VS brush

Compare fish shell VS brush and see what are their differences

fish shell

The friendly interactive shell.

Rating
0 reviews
Pricing
Open source
brush

brush shell

No screenshot yet
Rating
0 reviews

Which is more popular?

Based on our record, fish shell seems to be more popular. It has been mentioned 147 times since March 2021.

social mentions
147 vs 0
Cryptocurrencies popularity
96% vs 4%
alternatives listed
144 vs 18

Base details

Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.

fish shell
b
brush
Website fishshell.com brush.sh
Pricing
Open source
—
Listed in

Features and specs

What each product offers, as listed by its team.

fish shell 4 features
b
brush 5 features
  • User-Friendly Syntax
    Fish shell features a more readable and user-friendly syntax compared to traditional shells like Bash or Zsh, making it easier for new users to learn and use.
  • Modern Features
    Fish shell includes out-of-the-box support for modern shell features such as syntax highlighting, autosuggestions, and smart command-line completions, greatly enhancing the user experience.
  • Web-Based Configuration
    Users can configure Fish shell through a web interface, making it more accessible and easier to customize compared to other shells that require manual configuration file edits.
  • Consistent Scripting
    Fish shell uses a consistent scripting language, which reduces the quirks and peculiarities often found in other shell scripting languages.

Possible disadvantages

  • Compatibility Issues
    Fish shell is not POSIX compliant, which means scripts written in Fish will not be compatible with other POSIX-compliant shells like Bash or Zsh, potentially causing issues in environments that rely on such standards.
  • Smaller Ecosystem
    Compared to shells like Bash and Zsh, Fish has a smaller ecosystem of plugins, themes, and community support, which could limit available resources and tools.
  • Learning Curve for Experienced Users
    Experienced users of traditional shells like Bash or Zsh might find Fish's different syntax and features take some time to adapt to, potentially reducing initial productivity.
  • Limited Script Portability
    Scripts written in Fish shell are often not portable to other shell environments without significant modification, reducing their usability in multi-shell setups.
  • Modern Unix Shell
    Brush is a modern, Rust-based implementation of a Unix shell that aims to be compatible with bash, offering a fresh take on the traditional shell experience with improved performance and safety guarantees inherent to Rust.
  • Bash Compatibility
    Brush strives to be compatible with bash scripting and syntax, meaning users can leverage their existing knowledge and scripts without needing to learn an entirely new shell language or rewrite existing automation.
  • Open Source
    Brush is an open-source project, allowing the community to contribute, inspect the code, report bugs, and help shape the direction of the shell's development.
  • Written in Rust
    Being implemented in Rust provides memory safety, thread safety, and modern software engineering practices, potentially reducing bugs and security vulnerabilities compared to shells written in C.
  • Cross-Platform Potential
    As a Rust-based project, Brush has the potential for good cross-platform support, making it easier to run on various operating systems including Linux, macOS, and potentially Windows.

Possible disadvantages

  • Early Stage / Incomplete
    Brush is still in active development and may not yet support all bash features, built-in commands, or edge cases, which could lead to incompatibilities when running complex scripts.
  • Small Community
    Compared to established shells like bash, zsh, or fish, Brush has a much smaller user community, meaning fewer resources, tutorials, plugins, and community-driven support are available.
  • Limited Ecosystem
    Brush lacks the extensive ecosystem of plugins, frameworks, and customization tools that mature shells like zsh (with Oh My Zsh) or fish enjoy, which may limit its appeal for power users.
  • Potential Compatibility Gaps
    Despite aiming for bash compatibility, achieving full parity with decades of bash behavior and quirks is extremely challenging, and users may encounter subtle differences or missing features that break their workflows.
  • Unproven in Production
    As a relatively new project, Brush hasn't been battle-tested in production environments at scale, so relying on it for critical systems or workflows carries more risk compared to well-established shells.

Analysis

An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.

fish shell
b
brush

Overall verdict

  • Fish Shell is a highly regarded shell due to its modern features, ease of use, and ability to improve productivity for both beginners and experienced users. Its emphasis on user experience and efficient workflows makes it a popular choice.

Why this product is good

  • Fish Shell is known for its user-friendly design, syntax highlighting, and autosuggestions which enhance the command-line experience. Unlike other shells, it has out-of-the-box configurations that are easy to use, reducing the need for manual setup. The inclusion of advanced tab completions, web-based configuration, and a helpful scripting language also contribute to its appeal.

Recommended for

    Fish Shell is recommended for developers and system administrators looking for an intuitive and powerful command-line shell. It is particularly suitable for users who prefer minimal configuration and appreciate features like autosuggestions and syntax highlighting straight out of the box.

Overall verdict

  • Brush is a solid choice for developers who want a fast, drop-in replacement for bash with modern features and better UX, though as a newer shell it may lack the extensive battle-testing and ecosystem support of long-established shells like bash or zsh.

Why this product is good

  • Written in Rust, offering improved performance and memory safety compared to traditional C-based shells
  • Aims for high compatibility with bash syntax, easing migration for existing users
  • Modern codebase makes it easier to maintain, extend, and audit for security issues
  • Active open-source development with a focus on correctness and interoperability
  • Cross-platform potential due to Rust's portability

Recommended for

  • Developers who want a bash-compatible shell with a modern, safer implementation
  • Rust enthusiasts interested in systems-level tooling written in their language of choice
  • Users looking to experiment with next-generation shell alternatives without abandoning bash scripting habits
  • Teams prioritizing memory safety and reduced attack surface in their command-line tooling
  • Early adopters comfortable with newer, less battle-tested software

Videos

Walkthroughs and reviews on video.

fish shell 3 videos + Add
b
brush 3 videos + Add

this tank is not overstocked | Fish Tank Review Ep. 1

More videos

  • - Can Female Bettas Live In A Bowl Together? | Fish Tank Review 36
  • - Ryan's First Time Catching Fish for Dinner!!!

I Tested 17 Hair Brushes to Find the BEST for Healthy Hair!

More videos

  • - Affordable Thermal Brush Review for Straight Naturals #curlyhair #beautyblowout
  • - Is This Brush The FUTURE Of Teeth Cleaning?!

Category popularity

How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.

Score bands 0–20 21–40 41–50 51–60 61–100
fish shell
b
brush
96% 96%
4% 4%
94% 94%
6% 6%
96% 96%
4% 4%
0% 0%
100% 100%

User comments

Share your experience with using fish shell and brush. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Log in or Post with

Social recommendations and mentions

Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.

fish shell 147 mentions
b
brush 0 mentions
  • Bulk Delete Thousands of WordPress Posts
    I use the Fish shell on my Mac, which is much better than bash in many ways. If you’re using fish, you’ll need to use a slightly different command to handle piping post ID’s to the delete command properly. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • Working with OpenAI’s Codex CLI
    Once you have those you’ll need to add them to your command line profile so that they’re available to node’s process.env globals. I use Fish CLI, so for me this looks like this:. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago
  • Creating Custom AI Models on a Macbook Pro
    That’s a mouthful; it’s best to simplify with a custom CLI function. I use Fish shell, so I’ve created a helpful fish function to make it better:. - Source: dev.to / 3 days ago

View more

Tracking brush since May 2026.

Alternatives to fish shell and brush

When comparing fish shell and brush, you can also consider the following products.