Ink
React components for building interactive command-line apps in the terminal.
- Stars
- 40.2k
- Forks
- 1.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- TypeScript
- Last update
- 5 days ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
Ink lets you build terminal programs using React, the component-based UI library normally used for web pages. You describe the output as components, and Ink draws it in the command line, using Flexbox-style layout via Yoga. It is useful if you already know React and want to make a CLI that updates over time or responds to input.
- Build a CLI that shows a live-updating counter or progress display
- Create a terminal menu or form that responds to keyboard input using useInput
- Lay out terminal panels side by side with Box and Flexbox properties
- Render CLI output that can be checked in tests
Great for
- JavaScript or TypeScript developers who already know React
- Teams building interactive command-line tools with live-updating output
- Authors who want to structure CLI output as reusable components
- Developers who want to test CLI output by rendering components
Not ideal for
- People who only need a simple script with plain text output, since Ink adds React as a dependency
- Non-developers, because it requires writing React code
- Projects that cannot use Node.js-based tooling, since the README shows an npm install
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Node.js · npm
Install Ink and React
npm install ink react - 2
Run it
- Install Ink and React with npm install ink react
- Create a file that imports render and Text from ink
- Write a component, such as the Counter example in the README
- Call render(<Counter />) and run the file with Node.js
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use Box and Flexbox-style properties to lay out multiple sections in the terminal
- Use useInput to respond to keyboard presses in interactive tools
- Use Static for output that should stay on screen while other content updates
- Use useFocus and useFocusManager to move focus between interactive elements
- Look at the Testing section to check rendered CLI output in tests
Downloads
Strengths
- Uses the familiar React component model and its features
- Supports Flexbox-style layout in the terminal through Yoga
- Widely used, with many listed projects such as Claude Code and Gemini CLI
Trade-offs
- Requires knowing React, and the README says only Ink's own methods are documented, so you must learn React separately
- The README notes the documented version is the upcoming release, and points to npm for the latest stable one
- Adds a React runtime to what would otherwise be a simple command-line tool
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ink (this) | 40.2k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | JavaScript or TypeScript developers who already know React |
| commander.js | 28.4k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | Node.js developers writing a command-line tool |
| Inquirer.js | 21.6k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | Node.js developers building interactive command-line tools |
| terminal | 105k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text |
| zoxide | 40.4k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who move between many project folders in a terminal |
| cmder | 27k | App | beginner | 10 days ago | Windows users who want a nicer, tabbed command-line window |
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.