Oh My Zsh
A community framework that manages your zsh shell config, with bundled plugins and themes.
- Stars
- 190k
- Forks
- 28.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Shell
- Last update
- 4 days ago
- Type
- Dev tool
What it is
Oh My Zsh is an open source framework for managing your zsh configuration, the settings for the zsh command-line shell. It ships with a large set of optional plugins that add aliases and shortcuts for tools like git, Docker, and Homebrew, plus many color themes for the prompt. It also includes an update tool to keep your setup current with the community's changes.
- Enable the git plugin in your .zshrc to get shortcuts for common git commands
- Switch the prompt theme by changing the ZSH_THEME value in your .zshrc
- Turn on a Docker or Homebrew plugin to get tool-specific completions and aliases
- Keep the framework current using its built-in auto-update tool
Great for
- People who already use zsh and want a ready-made configuration without writing it from scratch
- Developers who work with git and want its shortcuts available in the shell
- Users who want to change how their prompt looks with a single setting
- Beginners who want a shell setup with sensible defaults and documented plugins
Not ideal for
- People who do not use zsh (for example, bash-only users) because the framework only works with zsh
- Users who want a minimal shell setup, since the framework loads many optional features and can add startup weight
- People who prefer to hand-write every line of their shell configuration and avoid changes they did not make
How to get it
- 1
See the README
You'll need: zsh (v4.3.9 or newer; 5.0.8 or newer preferred) · curl or wget · git (v2.4.11 or higher recommended)
Install with curl
sh -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)"Install with wget
sh -c "$(wget -O- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh/master/tools/install.sh)" - 2
Run it
- Check that zsh is installed by running zsh --version
- Run the install command for curl or wget in your terminal
- Open ~/.zshrc and add the plugins you want to the plugins=() list, separated by spaces
- Set ZSH_THEME in ~/.zshrc to the theme name you want, then restart your terminal
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Read each plugin's README in the plugins directory to see its aliases and extras
- Browse the theme screenshots on the project wiki before choosing a theme
- Install a Nerd Font or Powerline Font if you use themes that show special symbols
- Move any settings from your old .zshrc.pre-oh-my-zsh file into the new .zshrc after installing
Downloads
Strengths
- Large catalog of optional plugins and themes, with a README for each built-in plugin
- Simple setup: one install command and plugins are enabled by listing them in .zshrc
- Large, active community with a long history and a permissive MIT license
Trade-offs
- Themes that use special symbols need a Powerline or Nerd Font installed to display correctly
- Loading many plugins can slow shell startup; the README does not give specific timing figures
- Requires zsh and git, and the install script replaces an existing .zshrc by renaming it
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ohmyzsh (this) | 190k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | People who already use zsh and want a ready-made configuration without writing it from scratch |
| prezto | 14.6k | Framework | beginner | 7 months ago | People who use Zsh and want a ready-made starting configuration |
| spaceship-prompt | 20.6k | Dev tool | beginner | 10 days ago | Zsh users who want useful information in their prompt without much setup |
| bash-it | 15.3k | Framework | intermediate | 10 days ago | People who use Bash as their daily terminal and want to customize it |
| pure | 14.5k | Dev tool | beginner | 30 days ago | Developers who use zsh and want a simple, readable prompt |
| autocomplete | 25.2k | Other | intermediate | 1.5 years ago | macOS developers who use zsh, bash or fish and want suggestions for common CLIs |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.