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PowerShell VS MacTerm

Compare PowerShell VS MacTerm and see what are their differences

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.

MacTerm logo MacTerm

Jan 1, 2018 - A powerful replacement for the macOS / OS X Terminal, with 24-bit color and graphics features.
  • PowerShell Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-14

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

  • MacTerm Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-03-17

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.

MacTerm features and specs

  • Customization
    MacTerm offers extensive customization options that allow users to tailor the terminal to fit their personal workflow, including themes, fonts, and keyboard shortcuts.
  • Multiple Sessions
    Users can open multiple terminal sessions within a single window, facilitating multitasking and management of multiple tasks simultaneously.
  • Advanced Scripting
    Supports advanced scripting capabilities with Python and other programming languages, making it a powerful tool for developers and sysadmins.
  • Performance
    Optimized for high performance, ensuring smooth operation even when running complex scripts or handling large volumes of data.
  • Unicode Support
    Full Unicode support ensures accurate representation of text in a variety of languages and symbols, making it versatile for international users.

Possible disadvantages of MacTerm

  • Learning Curve
    Due to its extensive features and customization options, MacTerm can have a steeper learning curve for new users compared to simpler terminal applications.
  • Mac-Only
    As the name suggests, MacTerm is available exclusively for macOS, limiting its usability for people who utilize other operating systems.
  • Interface Complexity
    The rich feature set may result in a cluttered interface, which can be overwhelming and may hinder productivity for users seeking a more minimalist approach.
  • Resource Usage
    Advanced features and high customization can lead to higher resource consumption compared to more lightweight terminal alternatives.

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

Analysis of MacTerm

Overall verdict

  • MacTerm is well-regarded in the macOS community for its flexibility and advanced capabilities. It is considered a good choice for users who need more than what the standard Terminal offers, especially those who prefer customizing their terminal environment.

Why this product is good

  • MacTerm is a powerful and customizable terminal application for macOS, catering to advanced users who need a reliable and feature-rich terminal environment. It offers extensive customization options, scriptability, and a range of features that make it a suitable alternative to the default Terminal app.

Recommended for

  • Software developers who work extensively with command-line tools.
  • System administrators needing advanced terminal features.
  • Users looking for a highly customizable terminal experience.
  • Anyone who finds the default Terminal app lacking in certain functionalities.

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

MacTerm videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to PowerShell and MacTerm)
SSH
80 80%
20% 20
Server Management
82 82%
18% 18
Terminal Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Tool
71 71%
29% 29

User comments

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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, PowerShell seems to be more popular. 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.

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: about 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

MacTerm mentions (0)

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

What are some alternatives?

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

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

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.

Console - Console is a Windows console window enhancement.

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

Cygwin - Cygwin is a set of tools that provide Linux and POSIX functionality to Windows.

KiTTY - KiTTY is a fork from version 0.70 of PuTTY. It adds extra features to PuTTY.