Free and open first
Best Cli Tools in 2026
- 32 apps
- Research read 7 Oct 2026
- How the order is worked out
- 1
HTTPie
Free plan Open source LinuxMacWeb+1HTTPie offers command-line API testing alongside a graphical app for desktop and web. The CLI plan is open-source, while the Desktop and Web plan is in public beta; both are listed as free.
- 2
restic
Free plan Open source APILinuxMac+2restic offers free file backup with a range of storage options and integrity checks. Keep repository passwords safe, since losing one prevents access to the stored data.
- 3
aria2
Free plan AndroidAPILinux+3aria2 combines broad protocol support with multi-source downloading and remote controls. Its command-line format and no-warranty status are worth considering before choosing it.
- 4
FFmpeg
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1FFmpeg provides broad media conversion and streaming capabilities across desktop platforms, with hardware acceleration options.
- 5
GitHub CodeQL
Free plan ExtensionLinuxMac+3 - 6
btop
Free plan LinuxMacbtop combines resource monitoring with process controls, graphs, themes and presets in a terminal interface.
- 7
jq
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+2jq provides a flexible filter model for selecting and transforming JSON, with options for output formatting and large inputs.
- 8
gs-batch-pdf
Free plan LinuxMacWindowsChoose gs-batch-pdf if you want a free command-line utility for parallel PDF batches, with recursive processing and flexible file handling.
- 9
Helm
Free plan LinuxMacWindowsHelm organizes Kubernetes application resources into reusable charts, with support for dependencies, environment-specific values, upgrades, and rollbacks.
- 10
Homebrew
Free plan LinuxMacWindowsHomebrew offers package installation across macOS, Linux, and WSL, with formulae, casks, and Brewfile-based setup. Its lack of lockfiles and limits on supported systems are worth considering.
- 11
Kubernetes
Free plan APILinuxMac+2Kubernetes provides a broad system for coordinating container deployment, scaling, networking, and storage. Teams should account for application-level services outside its built-in scope.
- 12
- 13
fdupes
Free plan LinuxChoose fdupes if you want a free Linux command-line utility with configurable duplicate matching and interactive deletion. Review its symlink and repeated-directory warning before using deletion.
- 14
K9s
Free plan LinuxMacWindowsK9s provides monitoring, cluster actions, and customizable views in a terminal interface. Check Kubernetes version and RBAC compatibility before using it.
- 15
OpenTofu
Free plan LinuxMacSelf-hosted+1OpenTofu combines configuration-based infrastructure management with state tracking, reusable modules, and broad provider support. Its OCI provider installation remains secondary, rather than primary.
- 16
Pulumi
Free plan APILinuxMac+3Pulumi brings infrastructure definitions, deployment integrations, and secrets management into one platform. Its free plan has user and workflow-minute limits; listed paid plans start at $40 a month.
- 17
rclone
Free plan AndroidAPILinux+4Rclone offers broad storage support and flexible file operations, but it is a command-line program rather than a finished graphical tool.
- 18
- 19
lazygit
Free plan LinuxMacWindowsChoose lazygit if you want a free terminal interface for staging selected changes and handling Git history across Linux, macOS, or Windows.
- 20
Supabase
Free plan AndroidAPIiPhone+4Supabase brings a Postgres database and several backend services together, with client libraries and self-hosting documentation.
- 21
- 22
AWS Command Line Interface
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 23
Azure CLI
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 24
Docker CLI
Free plan LinuxMacWindows - 25
fzf
Free plan LinuxMacWindows
#1Places #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 on this list can be bought by the makers of the software on it. See the price