HTTPie suits developers and teams who build tools, apps, and technologies and need to work with APIs.
Free plan Open source From $10 a month WebWindowsMacLinux
- Home
- Developer Tools
- Cli Tools
Best Cli Tools 2026
Facts read 22 Sep 2026 – 21 Oct 2026
This list covers command-line access for tasks on macOS, Linux, Windows, self-hosted setups, the web and APIs. Use this list to compare pricing, platform support, code access and command features.
The standings: top 10
| Name | In a line | Record score | Price from | Try it free | Runs on | Facts read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 HTTPie | HTTPie suits developers and teams who build tools, apps, and technologies and need to work with APIs. | 6.0 | $10 a month | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 15 Oct 2026 |
| 02 Pulumi | Pulumi is for engineers who want to manage infrastructure in general-purpose languages across supported cloud providers. | 5.9 | $40 a month | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 30 Sep 2026 |
| 03 GitHub CodeQL | CodeQL suits developers and security researchers who need to analyze code for security and other quality issues. | 5.7 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 28 Sep 2026 |
| 04 Supabase | Supabase may suit developers building applications that need a Postgres backend with authentication, storage, realtime features or server-side functions. | 5.5 | $25 a month | Free plan | Android, iPhone & iPad, Web, Windows | 3 Oct 2026 |
| 05 restic | Restic suits people who want a no-charge file backup tool across supported desktop systems and who can manage repository passwords. | 5.4 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, API | 21 Oct 2026 |
| 06 rclone | It suits people comfortable using a command line or scripts to manage files across cloud storage providers. | 5.3 | Free plan | Free plan | Android, Web, Windows, Mac | 30 Sep 2026 |
| 07 aria2 | aria2 suits users comfortable with a command-line utility who need downloads over different protocols or from multiple sources. | 5.1 | Free plan | Free plan | Android, Windows, Mac, Linux | 4 Oct 2026 |
| 08 jq | jq suits developers and other command-line users who need to query or transform JSON streams. | 5.0 | Free plan | Free plan | Web, Windows, Mac, Linux | 2 Oct 2026 |
| 09 FFmpeg | FFmpeg suits users who need command-line tools for media conversion, local recording or streaming across desktop operating systems. | 4.9 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux, Self-hosted | 11 Oct 2026 |
| 10 gs-batch-pdf | gs-batch-pdf suits users who need scripted, repeatable PDF compression or PDF/A conversion across folders. | 4.9 | Free plan | Free plan | Windows, Mac, Linux | 11 Oct 2026 |
The page is ordered by newest releases first, using figures makers publish. It is a finder list, not a scored ranking.
02
Pulumi
Pulumi is for engineers who want to manage infrastructure in general-purpose languages across supported cloud providers.
WebWindowsMac+3 Record5.9 Visit
03
GitHub CodeQL
CodeQL suits developers and security researchers who need to analyze code for security and other quality issues.
WebWindowsMac+3 Record5.7 Visit
04
Supabase
Supabase may suit developers building applications that need a Postgres backend with authentication, storage, realtime features or server-side functions.
AndroidiPhone & iPadWeb+4 Record5.5 Visit
05
restic
Restic suits people who want a no-charge file backup tool across supported desktop systems and who can manage repository passwords.
WindowsMacLinux+2 Record5.4 Visit
6
rclone
AndroidWebWindows+4 Free plan Record5.3 Visit It suits people comfortable using a command line or scripts to manage files across cloud storage providers.
7
aria2
AndroidWindowsMac+3 Free plan Record5.1 Visit aria2 suits users comfortable with a command-line utility who need downloads over different protocols or from multiple sources.
8
jq
WebWindowsMac+2 Free plan Record5.0 Visit jq suits developers and other command-line users who need to query or transform JSON streams.
9
FFmpeg
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.9 Visit FFmpeg suits users who need command-line tools for media conversion, local recording or streaming across desktop operating systems.
10
gs-batch-pdf
WindowsMacLinux Free plan Record4.9 Visit gs-batch-pdf suits users who need scripted, repeatable PDF compression or PDF/A conversion across folders.
12
Vercel
WebAPI $20 usage-based Record4.9 Visit Vercel suits teams deploying web applications from Git repositories and working with its listed frameworks.
13
Helm
WindowsMacLinux Free plan Record4.8 Visit Helm suits Kubernetes application operators, distributors, developers, and tool developers who need to package and manage applications in a cluster.
14
Kubernetes
WindowsMacLinux+2 Free plan Record4.8 Visit Kubernetes suits teams deploying and managing containerized workloads across local machines, cloud environments, or datacenters.
15
Nix
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.8 Visit Nix suits developers, test engineers, DevOps engineers, system administrators, data scientists, students, and open-source enthusiasts who are comfortable with…
16
OpenTofu
WindowsMacLinux+1 Free plan Record4.8 Visit OpenTofu suits infrastructure teams defining and managing cloud or on-premises resources through configuration.
17
K9s
WindowsMacLinux Free plan Record4.7 Visit K9s is aimed at people who use Kubernetes clusters and want a terminal-based interface for cluster observation and management.
19
btop
MacLinux Free plan Record4.4 Visit btop suits users who want detailed terminal-based monitoring on Linux or macOS, with process controls and customizable displays.
20
fdupes
Linux Free plan Record4.4 Visit It suits Linux users and developers who need command-line duplicate-file scanning.
Before you choose
Match the platform
Check whether the tool runs on macOS, Linux or Windows before you choose it. Self-hosted, web and API support can matter when commands need to run away from your main computer.
Check the price model
Check each tool's pricing details for a free plan. When a paid plan matters, review Paid from; listed starting prices include $0.10 for AWS Client VPN and $30/mo for GitHub CodeQL.
Check each tool's terms to see whether it offers a free trial. Confirm the trial terms before relying on it.
Review code access
Check each tool's details to see whether it provides open-source code. If reading or modifying code matters, review the tool's licence alongside the pricing note.
Compare command features
Compare package managers, interactive mode, shell completion and offline use in the feature fields. Use these details when assessing setup, command entry and operation without a network connection.
Questions
Do CLI tools have free plans?
Check the pricing model and Free plan field for the tool you are considering.
Can I find open-source CLI tools here?
Review each tool's open-source status, pricing note and licence before changing or redistributing code.
Which platforms do these CLI tools support?
Tools here run on macOS, Linux, Windows, self-hosted setups, the web or APIs. Check the Supported platforms field for a specific tool.
Are free trials available?
Check each tool's terms and pricing details to see whether a free trial is offered before starting one.
What command features should I compare?
Assess package managers, interactive mode, shell completion and offline use together with pricing, platform support and open-source status.
More in Developer Tools
Accessibility Testing Software 169Log Management Software 111AI Coding Assistants 103Package Managers 93AI Agent Platforms 73Reverse Engineering Tools 73Integrated Development Environments 65Software Composition Analysis Software 65Artifact repository software 64Browser Automation Tools 62Version Control Software 62Container Registries 60Code Playground Software 58Continuous Integration Software 58Network Monitoring 55Kubernetes Monitoring 54Database Client Software 53IDE Software 53