Oh My Zsh vs Prezto
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 community framework that manages your zsh shell config, with bundled plugins and themes.
Open source · MIT
A configuration framework that adds sane defaults, aliases, completion and themes to Zsh.
The short answer
Choose Oh My Zsh if you need…
- 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
Choose Prezto if you need…
- People who use Zsh and want a ready-made starting configuration
- Users who want to turn on features like completion and prompt themes by choosing modules
- People comfortable editing shell config files and using Git
Side-by-side
| Oh My Zsh | Prezto | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Dev tool | Framework |
| Price | Free and open source | Free and open source |
| Licence | MIT | MIT |
| GitHub stars | 190k | 14.6k |
| Setup difficulty | Beginner | Beginner |
| How you get it | See the README | Clone and build from source |
| Main language | Shell | Shell |
| Last code update | 4 days ago | 7 months ago |
What each one is
Oh My Zsh
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.
Prezto
Prezto is a configuration framework for Zsh, the command-line shell. It sets up the terminal with sensible defaults, aliases, functions, auto completion, and prompt themes so you do not have to build them yourself. Many features are turned off by default, and you enable modules by editing a configuration file.
Best for
Oh My Zsh
- 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
Prezto
- People who use Zsh and want a ready-made starting configuration
- Users who want to turn on features like completion and prompt themes by choosing modules
- People comfortable editing shell config files and using Git
Strengths
Oh My Zsh
- 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
Prezto
- Provides a configurable base for Zsh with defaults, aliases, functions, completion and themes
- Modules let you load only the features you need
- Updating is handled by a built-in command, with the README describing how conflicts are handled
Not ideal for
Oh My Zsh
- 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
Prezto
- Users who want a point-and-click setup, since installation and setup are done through the command line and config files
- People who do not use Zsh (the README is specific to Zsh; minimum version 4.3.11)
- Users who want a lot of features on by default, since the README says many are disabled until you enable them
Trade-offs
Oh My Zsh
- 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
Prezto
- Many features are disabled by default, so you must read the docs and source to find what is available
- Some prompt symbols need the git module, which is an extra setup step
- The README is brief and says little beyond installation, modules and themes
Getting started
Oh My Zsh
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)"Prezto
Clone the repository
git clone --recursive https://github.com/sorin-ionescu/prezto.git "${ZDOTDIR:-$HOME}/.zprezto"Set Zsh as your default shell
chsh -s /bin/zshFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Oh My Zsh and Prezto?
Oh My Zsh: A community framework that manages your zsh shell config, with bundled plugins and themes. Prezto: A configuration framework that adds sane defaults, aliases, completion and themes to Zsh. Oh My Zsh suits people who already use zsh and want a ready-made configuration without writing it from scratch, while Prezto suits people who use zsh and want a ready-made starting configuration.
Are Oh My Zsh and Prezto free?
Oh My Zsh: Free and open source. Prezto: Free and open source.
Is Oh My Zsh or Prezto more popular?
Oh My Zsh has more GitHub stars (190k) than Prezto (14.6k). Popularity isn't the same as fit — check which one matches your use case above.
What are other alternatives to Oh My Zsh and Prezto?
Other options people compare them with include Spaceship Prompt, Material for MkDocs.
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.