Life & fun · alternatives · 2026

ppl is a command line address book that allows users to manage contacts directly from the terminal. Launched in 2012, it provides a text-based interface for storing and organizing contact information without requiring… Below are 24 products that do a similar job, ranked by how close each is in meaning and then by launch-day votes. ppl - The Command Line Address Book launched in 2012; newer entries below may have overtaken it.

1. 1
   Ell – A command-line interface for LLMs written in Bash▲214

   Hi HN! I've created a CLI tool called "ell" that allows you to interact with LLMs directly from your terminal. Designed with the Unix philosophy in mind, ell is simple, modular, and extensible. You can easily pipe input and output to integrate with other tools. Its templates and hook-based plugins enable you to customize and extend its functionality to suit any needs. Check out the README for usage instructions and examples. I developed this tool because existing solutions often felt too heavy, with many dependencies, or they weren't friendly to piping and customization. I, on the contrary,…

   2024 · github.com · its alternatives →

2. 2
   I wrote a modern Command Line Handbook▲454

   TLDR: I wrote a handbook for the Linux command line. 120 pages in PDF. Updated for 2025. Pay what you want. A few years back I wrote an ebook about the Linux command line. Instead of focusing on a specific shell, paraphrasing manual pages, or providing long repetitive explanations, the idea was to create a modern guide that would help readers to understand the command line in the practical sense, cover the most common things people use the command line for, and do so without wasting the readers' time. The book contains material on terminals, shells (compatible with both Bash and Zsh),…

   2025 · commandline.stribny.name · its alternatives →

3. 3
   Repl.it▲399

   Code and deploy apps in any language right from your browser

   2018 · replit.com · its alternatives →

4. 4
   Apfel – The free AI already on your Mac▲743

   Github: https://github.com/Arthur-Ficial/apfel

   Apr 2026 · apfel.franzai.com · its alternatives →

5. 5PB
   Perl-based server-management tool▲63

   2013 · steve.org.uk · its alternatives →

6. 6TN
   Termipal – native micro-GUIs for shell scripts and command line apps▲195

   2017 · termipal.sh · its alternatives →

7. 7PA
   Pgcli – A CLI for Postgres with auto-completion and syntax highlighting▲227

   2015 · pgcli.com · its alternatives →

8. 8
   Simple command line note taking tool▲84

   Daily notes command line tool. Contribute to tomlockwood/dn development by creating an account on GitHub.

   2019 · github.com · its alternatives →

9. 9
   Assist – Instant terminal sharing from anywhere▲117

   There's no place like Homeland.

   2019 · assist.app · its alternatives →

10. 10
    PugSQL, a Python Port of HugSQL▲155

    PugSQL is a Python library for interacting with your database the way the gods intended.

    2019 · pugsql.org · its alternatives →

11. 11
    PerfOps CLI▲91

    A global server network in your command line

    2018 · perfops.net · its alternatives →

12. 12
    PSequel – a free PostgreSQL GUI Tool for Mac OS X▲247

    Happy Cyber Monday!

    2014 · psequel.com · its alternatives →

13. 13
    Prompt▲259

    The command line for the real world

    2016 · its alternatives →

14. 14
    Terminal Phone – E2EE Walkie Talkie from the Command Line▲322

    TerminalPhone is a single, self-contained Bash script that provides anonymous, end-to-end encrypted voice and text communication between two parties over the Tor network. It operates as a walkie-talkie: you record a voice message, and it is compressed, encrypted, and transmitted to the remote party as a single unit. You can also send encrypted text messages during a call. No server infrastructure, no accounts, no phone numbers. Your Tor hidden service .onion address is your identity.

    Feb 2026 · gitlab.com · its alternatives →

15. 15
    A library to add a command promp (and telnet) to your programs▲82

    Libmish adds a command prompt to your program, and telnet access. With your own commands. - buserror/libmish

    2020 · github.com · its alternatives →

16. 16
    chl.li URL shortener▲132

    A simple, modern, free and privacy-friendly URL shortener.

    2019 · chl.li · its alternatives →

17. 17
    Percollate – a command-line tool to grab web pages as PDFs▲123

    A command-line tool to turn web pages into readable PDF, EPUB, HTML, or Markdown docs. - danburzo/percollate

    2018 · github.com · its alternatives →

18. 18AT
    A tool to upload/download files from command line▲79

    2019 · bashupload.com · its alternatives →

19. 19
    Pydb – a lightweight database with Python syntax queries, using ZeroMQ▲130

    A lightweight database with Python syntax queries, using ZeroMQ - asrp/pyzdb

    2017 · github.com · its alternatives →

20. 20
    Interact with the terminal in plain English using GPT-3▲90

    Your wishes are my commands. Contribute to dylanjcastillo/shell-genie development by creating an account on GitHub.

    2023 · github.com · its alternatives →

21. 21CL
    “Command line text processing with GNU Coreutils” eBook▲117

    2021 · learnbyexample.github.io · its alternatives →

22. 22
    cli-typer▲100

    Practice touch typing in the command line

    2018 · its alternatives →

23. 23
    Box CLI▲97

    An open source command line interface from Box

    2017 · developer.box.com · its alternatives →

24. 24SE
    Send encrypted secrets from the command line▲117

    2019 · fluidkeys.com · its alternatives →

Ranked by how close each launch is in meaning, then by votes. Prices were read from each product’s own site when checked and can change. Refine with your own description →