Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

grep VS fd

Compare grep VS fd and see what are their differences

grep logo grep

grep is a command-line utility for searching plain-text data sets for lines matching a regular...

fd logo fd

A simple, fast and user-friendly alternative to 'find'.
  • grep Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-29
  • fd Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-08-18

grep features and specs

  • Powerful Text Search
    Grep can search through large amounts of text using regular expressions, making it a very powerful tool for locating specific patterns or strings within files.
  • Performance
    Grep is highly optimized for quickly searching through text files, often outperforming other general-purpose text-search tools in speed.
  • Flexibility
    The tool can handle complex searches with a variety of options such as recursive search, inclusion/exclusion of certain files, and case sensitivity.
  • Cross-Platform
    Available on multiple operating systems including Unix, Linux, and Windows (via third-party tools like Cygwin), making it a versatile choice for different environments.
  • Integration with Other Tools
    Seamlessly integrates with other Unix command-line utilities and can be used in pipelines to process text in multiple stages.

Possible disadvantages of grep

  • Steep Learning Curve
    May be difficult for beginners to master due to the need to understand regular expressions and various command-line options.
  • Limited Modern Language Support
    Primarily designed for text and may not work well with binary files or more complex modern data formats like JSON or XML without additional tools or processing.
  • Basic User Interface
    Primarily a command-line tool with no graphical user interface, which might be less user-friendly for those accustomed to GUI-based tools.
  • No Syntax Highlighting
    Lacks built-in syntax highlighting, which can make it harder to visually parse complex regular expressions and search results.
  • Filesystem Dependent
    Performance can degrade significantly depending on the filesystem and hardware, especially when searching through very large directories on slow disks.

fd features and specs

  • Speed
    fd is optimized for speed and can outperform traditional tools like find due to its use of parallelism and optimized algorithms.
  • Ease of Use
    fd has a simpler and more user-friendly syntax compared to find, making it easier to learn and use.
  • Colorized Output
    fd provides colorized output by default, making it easier to differentiate between file types and enhancing readability.
  • Smart Case
    fd enables smart case detection by default, meaning searches are case-insensitive unless the pattern includes an uppercase letter.
  • Defaults to Ignoring Hidden Files
    By default, fd ignores hidden files and directories, as well as files specified in .gitignore, helping to narrow down search results to relevant files.
  • Cross-Platform Support
    fd supports multiple platforms including Linux, macOS, and Windows, making it versatile for different development environments.

Possible disadvantages of fd

  • Dependency on Rust
    fd requires the Rust toolchain to build, which may be inconvenient for environments where installing additional dependencies is restricted.
  • Limited to Modern Features
    fd may not support some legacy systems and older versions of operating systems, limiting its applicability in certain scenarios.
  • Not as Feature-Rich
    While fd is easier to use, it doesn't have all the advanced features and fine-grained control options that find offers.
  • Compatibility
    fd’s simplified syntax and modern features may not be directly compatible with scripts or workflows that depend on find, requiring adjustments for integration.

grep videos

GREP COMMAND : IN-DEPTH GUIDE [ PART 1 ]

More videos:

  • Review - Linux Terminal Basics: Grep

fd videos

Discmania FD (Fairway Driver) Golf Disc Review

More videos:

  • Review - Honda Civic FD | Review & Tips If you want to own one
  • Review - Regular Car Reviews: 1993 Mazda RX-7 FD

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to grep and fd)
File Manager
100 100%
0% 0
Note Taking
28 28%
72% 72
Productivity
7 7%
93% 93
Clipboard Manager
100 100%
0% 0

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, fd seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 126 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.

grep mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of grep yet. Tracking of grep recommendations started around Mar 2021.

fd mentions (126)

View more

What are some alternatives?

When comparing grep and fd, you can also consider the following products

grepWin - grepWin is a simple search and replace tool which can use PCRE regular expressions to search for...

Bat - A cat(1) clone with wings.

dnGREP - dnGrep allows you to search across files with easy-to-read results.

fzf - A command-line fuzzy finder written in Go

DocFetcher - DocFetcher is a portable German/English open source desktop search application.

The Silver Searcher - A code searching tool similar to ack, with a focus on speed.