Compare the Bash vs. Zsh shell command languages, explore their differences, and see how to use both successfully.

LogRocket is a frontend monitoring platform that helps developers debug and troubleshoot issues in web applications by providing session replay, error tracking, and performance monitoring capabilities. With LogRocket, developers can gain insights into user interactions, identify bugs, and optimize application performance to deliver better user experiences. Developers can learn how to integrate LogRocket into their web applications, analyze user sessions, and diagnose frontend issues effectively.

LogRocket

Bash and Zsh are powerful Unix-based command-line shells. Bash, known for its simplicity and speed, is the default shell on most Linux systems and offers strong scripting capabilities. Zsh, with advanced customization and interactivity, is the default shell on macOS since Catalina and supports plugins through Oh My Zsh. Both shells can be run on macOS, Linux, and Windows, allowing users to select based on their preferences and system requirements.

Bash vs. Zsh: Key differences and when to use each

See how LogRocket's AI-powered error tracking works

Choosing the right shell: When to use Bash vs. Zsh

Over 200k developers use LogRocket to create better digital experiences

I guess having spent so many lifetimes working with UNIX, 45 years in the business, and having felt with what felt like shells that all felt the same just each one with improvements. While sh and csh worked when you got used to them, the advent of bash was quite a breath of fresh air with it’s flexibility, it wasn’t until my notebook computer became a MacBook Pro that I actually really tried out zsh and for the most part liked it. I can honestly say though there is room in my workflow (and brain for that matter) to have both bash and zsh on my systems if only because I have such a collection of scripts in both shells and even though under most circumstances a bash script will run on zsh it all depends on how “fancy” it got after revision 65535. ;-)

You can do all the things also with oh my bash

When I found ZSH is my default one on most Linux distros. OhMyZSH is also added as default :P