Oh My Posh vs Powerlevel10k
Which should you use? A side-by-side look at what each one does, who it suits, what it costs, how hard it is to set up, and where each falls short.
Open source · MIT
A customizable prompt renderer that adds themed info to your terminal prompt in many shells.
Open source · MIT
A fast, customizable prompt theme for the Zsh shell, with a setup wizard.
The short answer
Choose Oh My Posh if you need…
- Developers who want their terminal prompt to show extra context
- People who customize their shell look and want fine-grained control
- Users switching between Windows, Linux, macOS, or FreeBSD shells who want one prompt setup
- Anyone who wants a fast prompt renderer
Choose Powerlevel10k if you need…
- Zsh users who want a informative prompt that does not slow down typing
- People who want to move from Powerlevel9k without rewriting their settings
- Users who prefer a guided setup wizard over writing configuration from scratch
- People who want a Pure-style prompt with extra features like transient prompt
Side-by-side
| Oh My Posh | Powerlevel10k | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Dev tool |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 23.7k | 55.3k |
| Setup difficulty | Intermediate | Beginner |
| How you get it | See the README | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Go | Shell |
| Last code update | 5 days ago | 53 days ago |
What each one is
Oh My Posh
Oh My Posh is a program that draws the prompt line in your terminal, the text you see before you type a command. It works across several shells and operating systems, and you control what appears through a theme configuration. The README describes it as a prompt theme engine that is shell and platform agnostic, with support for secondary, right, and transient prompts.
Powerlevel10k
Powerlevel10k is a theme that changes how the command prompt looks in Zsh, the shell used in many terminals. It shows information such as the current directory and Git status, and it is designed to keep the prompt responsive even when showing a lot of information. A built-in wizard, started with p10k configure, lets you pick a style without editing config files by hand.
Best for
Oh My Posh
- Developers who want their terminal prompt to show extra context
- People who customize their shell look and want fine-grained control
- Users switching between Windows, Linux, macOS, or FreeBSD shells who want one prompt setup
- Anyone who wants a fast prompt renderer
Powerlevel10k
- Zsh users who want a informative prompt that does not slow down typing
- People who want to move from Powerlevel9k without rewriting their settings
- Users who prefer a guided setup wizard over writing configuration from scratch
- People who want a Pure-style prompt with extra features like transient prompt
Strengths
Oh My Posh
- The README describes it as cross platform and shell agnostic
- It lists configurability as a core feature and points to online documentation at ohmyposh.dev
- It is MIT licensed and has an active release history shown in the metadata
Powerlevel10k
- The README claims the prompt stays fast, and it describes an instant prompt feature that shows the prompt while plugins load
- Includes a configuration wizard (p10k configure) that creates a settings file with comments
- Understands existing Powerlevel9k configuration parameters, which eases migration
Not ideal for
Oh My Posh
- People who are happy with their default shell prompt and do not want to edit configuration files, since the README indicates setup is configuration-driven
- Users who need a full shell replacement rather than a prompt tool, since the README describes only prompt rendering
Powerlevel10k
- Users of bash, fish or other shells, since it only works with Zsh
- Users who need active maintenance or new features, because the README says the project has very limited support, no new features are planned, and help requests will be ignored
- Users who cannot install a patched font, since some prompt styles need special symbols to display
Trade-offs
Oh My Posh
- The README is truncated and does not show install steps, so setup details must come from the documentation site
- Heavy customization can add configuration effort for newcomers
Powerlevel10k
- The README states the project has very limited support, no new features in the works, and most bugs will go unfixed
- Some prompt styles need a recommended patched font to display correctly
- Prompt appearance may differ slightly from Powerlevel9k with the same configuration, according to the README's FAQ
Getting started
Oh My Posh
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/JanDeDobbeleer/oh-my-poshPowerlevel10k
Clone the repository
git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/romkatv/powerlevel10k.git ${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/powerlevel10kFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oh My Posh and Powerlevel10k?
Oh My Posh: A customizable prompt renderer that adds themed info to your terminal prompt in many shells. Powerlevel10k: A fast, customizable prompt theme for the Zsh shell, with a setup wizard. Oh My Posh suits developers who want their terminal prompt to show extra context, while Powerlevel10k suits zsh users who want a informative prompt that does not slow down typing.
Are Oh My Posh and Powerlevel10k free?
Oh My Posh: Free and open source. Powerlevel10k: Free and open source.
Which is easier to set up, Oh My Posh or Powerlevel10k?
Powerlevel10k is easier to get started with (rated beginner); Oh My Posh is rated intermediate and usually needs more setup.
Is Oh My Posh or Powerlevel10k more popular?
Powerlevel10k has more GitHub stars (55.3k) than Oh My Posh (23.7k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Oh My Posh and Powerlevel10k?
Other options people compare them with include Oh My Zsh, asdf, inshellisense, zoxide, Pure.
Keep comparing
Built from our catalogue entries for both products: open-source details come from each project's README (AI-assisted, refreshed weekly) and GitHub data; AI-tool details are editorial. Spotted something wrong? Let us know from either product's page.