CLI apps aren’t just for Linux—these 5 run fine on Windows too
CLI apps aren’t just for Linux—these 5 run fine on Windows too
https://www.howtogeek.com/cli-apps-arent-just-for-linuxthese-great-ones-run-on-windows/
Publish Date: 2026-07-13 10:30:00
Source Domain: www.howtogeek.com
Linux has always been a more command-line focused operating system compared to Windows, and if you just put the operating systems side-by-side, that is still true today, for better or worse. However, that doesn’t mean that you’re without options if you do want command-line tools on Windows.
In fact, there are a few dozen great command-line apps out there. Here are a handful I found that replicated specific functions that I’ve gotten used to on Linux but aren’t great in Windows natively.
ripgrep (rg)
Full-text search that beats Explorer search
If you’ve ever used findstr or relied on the Windows Explorer search bar to find a specific string of text across dozens of files, you know that the default search can be unbelievably sluggish. ripgrep is a recursive Regex search tool that aims to improve CLI search on Windows.
You’ll find it dramatically faster than any native Windows search, and the output is colorized and easy to read. While there is a noticeable learning curve if you aren’t familiar with regular expressions, the speed gain makes it worth the effort for anyone digging through code or massive log files. There are also online Regex expression tools that will save you a ton of time if you’re not used to working with Regex.
Install it by running the following:
winget install BurntSushi.ripgrep.MSVC
Then search your directories using rg (pattern).
