Nushell

Cross-platform shell where pipelines pass structured data like tables instead of plain text.

Verified facts: 3 of 3
Alternatives ranked: 5
Approved reviews: 0
Visits sent from here: 0

About Nushell

Nushell, or Nu, is a modern shell written in Rust that treats command output as structured data. Built-in commands such as ls, ps or open return tables and records instead of text, so you can filter, sort and select columns the same way every time without awk, sed or cut, and it reads JSON, YAML, TOML, CSV, SQLite and other formats directly into tables. It has its own typed scripting language with good error messages, a plugin system, completions and a configurable prompt. Nu runs the same way on Linux, macOS, BSD and Windows, which is a real advantage for cross-platform scripts. It is free and MIT licensed. Its syntax is not compatible with bash, so existing scripts and copy-pasted commands often need rewriting, and the language is still evolving, with breaking changes between releases more common than in older shells.

Best for: Developers who work with JSON, CSV and other data and want a shell that understands it.

What works

Pipelines of structured tables instead of text
Reads JSON, YAML, CSV and more natively
Same behaviour on Linux, macOS and Windows

Why people leave

Not bash compatible
Breaking changes between releases
Fewer tutorials and integrations than bash or zsh

Top Nushell alternatives

See all 5

1
PowerShell
Object-based pipelines with a huge library of modules, especially on Windows.
66.5
2
fish
Friendly interactive shell with text pipelines and less to relearn.
62.6
3
xonsh
Mixes shell commands with full Python for data work.
59.6
4
Zsh
Stay compatible with bash scripts while customising heavily.
57.2
5
Bash
Runs POSIX-style scripts copied from docs and forums unchanged, which Nushell's own syntax won't.
55.3

Why people left Nushell

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Nushell: common questions

Is Nushell free?

Yes. Nushell is free, open-source software.

Is Nushell open source?

Yes. The source code is on GitHub at nushell/nushell.

What platforms does Nushell run on?

Nushell is available for Linux, macOS and Windows.

What are the best alternatives to Nushell?

The highest-ranked Nushell alternatives right now are PowerShell, fish and xonsh. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.

See all 5 Nushell alternatives

Nushell facts

3 of 3 verified

License: MIT; Checked Oct 25, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab); “License: MIT (MIT License).”
Platforms: Linux, macOS, BSD, Windows; Checked Oct 25, 2026nushell.sh(opens source in a new tab); “Nu works on Linux, macOS, BSD, and Windows.”
Structured data: Yes; Checked Oct 25, 2026nushell.sh(opens source in a new tab); “Everything is data Nu pipelines use structured data so you can safely select, filter, and sort the same way every time.”