Cmder
A portable console emulator package for Windows, built on ConEmu with a custom config and prompt.
- Stars
- 27k
- Forks
- 2.1k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- PowerShell
- Last update
- 10 days ago
- Type
- App
What it is
Cmder is a terminal window for Windows that bundles a console emulator (based on ConEmu), a Monokai color scheme, enhanced command-line completion via Clink, and a custom prompt. It is designed to run without installation, so the whole setup can be kept on a USB stick or in cloud storage. It is useful for people who find the default Windows command prompt limiting.
- Open several tabs for cmd.exe, PowerShell, and Bash in one window
- Run Cmder from a USB stick on different Windows computers
- Add the Cmder context-menu entry so you can open a terminal in any folder
- Place your own tools in the bin folder so they are added to the PATH
Great for
- Windows users who want a nicer, tabbed command-line window
- People who want a portable terminal setup they can carry between machines
- Developers who use cmd.exe, PowerShell, or Bash side by side
- Users who want Git-aware prompts and bundled tools like git, curl and wget in the full edition
Not ideal for
- macOS or Linux users, since the project is described as a Windows package (the README does not describe other platforms)
- Users who need the Bash tabs to work in the mini edition without extra setup, since the README says they may not work there without additional configuration
- Users who need strict security or policy control over bundled executables, since the README does not describe a security model and portable folders can be edited freely
How to get it
- 1
Download the app
Download the latest release from the GitHub releases page, then extract the archive to a non-admin folder
git clone https://github.com/cmderdev/cmder - 2
Run it
- Download the latest release archive from the releases page (cmder.7z or cmder.zip).
- Extract it to a folder that does not require Administrator access, such as your user folder.
- Run Cmder.exe from the extracted folder.
- Open a new tab with Ctrl + T to choose a shell.
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the /C argument with a folder path to keep per-user configuration separate from a shared install
- Use /REGISTER ALL from an Administrator prompt to add a 'Cmder Here' entry to the Windows context menu
- Put your own executables in the bin folder so they are added to your PATH
- Use Shift + Alt + 1 or 2 to quickly open cmd or PowerShell tabs
Downloads
Strengths
- Portable: the README says it is self-contained with no external dependencies
- Bundles familiar tools such as git, curl and wget in the full edition, and offers tabs for several shells
- Customizable through ConEmu settings and a configurable cmder_config folder
Trade-offs
- Windows only, and the README's Bash and Mintty tabs have caveats depending on edition and setup
- The README is truncated and some keyboard shortcuts are noted as undocumented
- Portable installs must not sit in protected folders like Program Files, which limits where it can live
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cmder (this) | 27k | App | beginner | 10 days ago | Windows users who want a nicer, tabbed command-line window |
| hyper | 44.8k | App | beginner | 3 months ago | Developers who want a terminal they can customize with extensions or themes |
| PowerShell | 56k | CLI | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who script or automate tasks across Windows, Linux, and macOS |
| zoxide | 40.4k | Dev tool | beginner | 4 days ago | Developers who move between many project folders in a terminal |
| terminal | 105k | App | beginner | 6 days ago | Windows users who work in the command line every day and want tabs and rich text |
| winget-cli | 26.6k | CLI | beginner | 6 days ago | Windows users who want to install common apps from a terminal |
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.