lf
Focus: file manager and keyboard shortcuts. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
Desktop App
ouch
Compress and unpack files with one simple command.
Rating
4.5 / 5
Pricing
Free
Difficulty
Intermediate
Works on
macOS, Windows, Linux
Built with love by Shushant Lakhyani. Building bestproductivityresources.com
What is ouch?
ouch, short for Obvious Unified Compression Helper, is a command-line tool for compressing and decompressing many formats. Its README lists zip, tar, gz, xz, zst, 7z and more, with rar supported for unpacking only. It aims for clear error messages, has no runtime dependencies and includes an accessibility mode.
Third-party open-source projects. We are not affiliated with their authors; repositories are provided as-is by their maintainers. Review each project's license, code and security before installing. See our Disclaimer.
Pros: what ouch does well
- One command works for many archive types
- Clear error messages when something goes wrong
- No extra software needed to run it
Cons: where it falls short
- Terminal only
- Rar files can be unpacked but not created
Who ouch is for
Anyone who handles zip and tar files and wants one easy tool.
Who can skip it
People who are happy with their desktop's built-in archive tool.
ouch alternatives
Not sold on ouch? These do a similar job, and each card says what it has in common.
Atuin
Focus: shell history and sync. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.7 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
htop
Focus: process viewer and system monitor. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.7 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
zoxide
Focus: navigation and shell. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.7 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.7Visit
dua-cli
Focus: disk usage and storage cleanup. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.6 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
eza
Focus: file listing and ls alternative. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.6 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Free alternatives to ouch
Want to spend nothing? These free picks cover similar ground.
kitty
Focus: gpu. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.6 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Linux
4.6Visit
Tabby
Focus: ssh and serial. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Rated 4.6 (ouch: 4.5).
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.6Visit
Broot
Focus: file manager and navigation. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
duf
Focus: disk usage and storage. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
gping
Focus: ping and network. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
WezTerm
Focus: multiplexer. Shares terminal and command line with ouch. Same 4.5 rating.
Desktop AppFreemacOS, Windows
4.5Visit
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