10 Modern Open‑Source CLI Tools That Outshine Classic Linux Commands

Linux was born in 1991, along with classic commands such as ls, cd and ps. Although these commands are three decades old, we still use them every day.

Have you ever wondered whether more modern, user‑friendly command‑line tools exist to replace these “old‑fashioned” Linux commands?

Today we present ten open‑source CLI projects that not only replicate the functionality of traditional commands but also add new capabilities such as better parameter design, colorful output, cross‑platform support, and higher performance.

Below is a quick guide to these tools.

1: dust (du)

Programming language: Rust (96%)

Stars: 4.4k

Replaces: du command

Description: Shows directory and file sizes clearly, displaying sizes, a tree of sub‑directories, and usage percentages as bar charts without extra parameters.

Usage: dust Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/bootandy/dust

2: duf (df)

Programming language: Go (94%)

Stars: 9.3k

Replaces: df command

Description: Displays disk usage in colorful tables, categorising devices and supporting sorting of results.

Usage: duf Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/muesli/duf

3: procs (ps)

Programming language: Rust (99%)

Stars: 3k

Replaces: ps command

Description: Shows process information with TCP/UDP ports, Docker container names, column sorting and keyword filtering.

Usage: procs <keyword> Supported platforms: Linux, macOS (Windows has some issues)

Repository: https://github.com/dalance/procs

4: bottom (top)

Programming language: Rust (99%)

Stars: 4.4k

Replaces: top command

Description: Graphical real‑time monitor for processes and system resources, showing CPU, memory, disk, network, temperature, etc., and extensible via plugins.

Usage: btm Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/ClementTsang/bottom

5: exa (ls)

Programming language: Rust (92%)

Stars: 18.4k

Replaces: ls command

Description: Displays directory listings with colours, tree view, Git status and other convenient features.

Usage: exa -l Supported platforms: Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/ogham/exa

6: zoxide (cd)

Programming language: Rust (98%)

Stars: 6.9k

Replaces: cd command

Description: A smarter cd that remembers frequently used directories for faster navigation.

Usage: z <directory> Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/ajeetdsouza/zoxide

7: ripgrep (grep)

Programming language: Rust (94%)

Stars: 45.6k

Replaces: grep command

Description: Ultra‑fast text search tool that automatically respects .gitignore, recurses, and highlights matches.

Usage: rg 'keyword' <directory> Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep

8: bat (cat)

Programming language: Rust (95%)

Stars: 35.6k

Replaces: cat command

Description: Enhanced file viewer with paging, line numbers, syntax highlighting and Git integration.

Usage: bat <filename> Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/sharkdp/bat

9: httpie (curl)

Programming language: Python (92%)

Stars: 22.4k

Replaces: curl and wget commands

Description: A user‑friendly HTTP client supporting requests, sessions, downloads, JSON handling and more.

Usage: http https://example.com Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/httpie/httpie

10: hyperfine (time)

Programming language: Rust (93%)

Stars: 11.9k

Replaces: time command

Description: Powerful benchmarking tool that runs any shell command multiple times, provides statistical analysis and can export results.

Usage: hyperfine 'cmd1' 'cmd2' Supported platforms: Windows, Linux, macOS

Repository: https://github.com/sharkdp/hyperfine

Technology evolves, and there is no permanently superior tool—only newer, more convenient ones. For a broader collection of modern replacements, see the modern‑unix repository, which lists 28 alternatives to common Linux commands.