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eza

Modern replacement for ls

Modern replacement for the Unix ls command written in Rust with color-coded output, Git integration showing file status, tree view, icon support, extended attributes display, and hyperlink support for terminals. Faster than ls with features like recursive directory listing, grid/long/tree layouts, and filtering by file type. Maintained fork of the discontinued exa project. Part of the modern CLI toolkit alongside bat, fd, ripgrep, and zoxide. 14K+ GitHub stars.

About eza

Eza is a modern, maintained replacement for the ls command, written in Rust, that brings color-coded output, Git status awareness, and enhanced file metadata display to directory listings. As the actively maintained successor to the original exa project, eza provides richer, more informative directory listings than the default ls command while maintaining compatibility with its core flags. It addresses the limitation of ls producing plain, hard-to-scan output by adding visual clarity and contextual information.

Eza uses colors to distinguish file types and metadata at a glance, displays Git repository status for files and directories, supports tree view for recursive directory visualization, and shows human-readable relative dates. It includes hyperlink support for terminal emulators that support clickable links, extended attribute display, mount point details, and icons for different file types. Eza also offers a customizable theme system through a YAML configuration file for personalizing colors and icons.

Eza is designed for developers and system administrators who want more informative and visually appealing directory listings in their daily terminal workflow. It runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows, and is commonly aliased to replace ls entirely. Eza is frequently used alongside other modern CLI replacements like bat, fd, and ripgrep as part of an upgraded command-line toolkit, and integrates well with shell frameworks like Oh My Zsh and Fish.

Pricing & Platform Specs

Pricing Summary

Free and 100% open source under the European Union Public Licence 1.2 (EUPL-1.2). eza is completely free for personal, educational, and commercial enterprise use with zero software licensing costs.

full pricing breakdown →

Supported Platforms

macOS, Linux, Windows

Explore categories, tags & use cases

Alternatives

All eza alternatives →

A cat clone with wings

Modern replacement for the Unix cat command with syntax highlighting for 200+ languages, automatic paging, line numbers, Git integration showing file modifications, and themes including integration with terminal color schemes. Supports plain text output mode for piping. Extremely fast with Rust-based implementation. Can be used as a drop-in cat replacement via aliasing. 51K+ GitHub stars. Part of the modern CLI toolkit alongside fd, ripgrep, and eza.

Open Source

Blazingly fast recursive search

Ultra-fast recursive text search tool written in Rust that respects .gitignore rules automatically. Searches directories significantly faster than grep with smart defaults like line numbers, syntax highlighting, and compressed file support. The de facto replacement for grep among developers, combining the speed of Rust with sensible defaults that eliminate the need for complex command-line flags.

Open Source

Community experience

Sources & verification

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FAQ

What is eza?

Modern replacement for the Unix ls command written in Rust with color-coded output, Git integration showing file status, tree view, icon support, extended attributes display, and hyperlink support for terminals. Faster than ls with features like recursive directory listing, grid/long/tree layouts, and filtering by file type. Maintained fork of the discontinued exa project. Part of the modern CLI toolkit alongside bat, fd, ripgrep, and zoxide. 14K+ GitHub stars.

Is eza free?

Yes — eza is open source and free to use. Free and 100% open source under the European Union Public Licence 1.2 (EUPL-1.2). eza is completely free for personal, educational, and commercial enterprise use with zero software licensing costs.

Is eza open source?

Yes — eza is open source.

Is eza still maintained?

Yes — eza is active. Its listing was last verified on September 6, 2026.

What are the best eza alternatives?

The first editor-selected eza alternatives are bat, ripgrep.