PowerShell provides a shell and scripting environment for multiple systems, according to the project summary.
The Best Why Is This Running? Alternatives in 2026
Looking for something like Why Is This Running?? Here are 24 alternatives, ranked by how closely they match it on purpose, features and platforms. Of these, 20 are open source.
witr traces processes, ports, containers, or files back to what started them through command-line and text interfaces.
Top picks at a glance
Quick comparison
| # | Alternative | Pricing | Open source | Platforms |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | PowerShell | — | Yes | — |
| 2 | Nushell | — | Yes | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| 3 | Psmux | — | Yes | Windows |
| 4 | Zellij | — | Yes | — |
| 5 | FKill | — | Yes | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| 6 | GetDNote | — | Not stated | Linux, macOS, Web |
| 7 | CPU Fetch | — | Yes | Android, Linux, macOS |
| 8 | RepoHub | — | Not stated | Linux, macOS, Windows |
| 9 | Choco | — | Not stated | Windows |
| 10 | hok | — | Yes | — |
All Why Is This Running? alternatives
A shell that treats each input as structured data instead of raw text streams.
psmux brings tmux-style terminal multiplexing to PowerShell, Windows Terminal, and cmd.exe through a native Windows implementation.
Zellij provides a terminal workspace, with its repository describing the app as having built-in features.
fkill-cli terminates processes on macOS, Linux, and Windows from the command line.
GetDNote
getdnote.comDnote is a terminal-based notebook for capturing commands and snippets, with full-text search and a self-hosted server API.
cpufetch is a command-line tool written in C that displays CPU information.
RepoHub
github.com/yusufipk/RepoHubRepoHub provides a unified interface for discovering and installing software from official repositories across Linux, Windows, and macOS.
Choco
github.com/chocolatey/chocoChocolatey is a package manager for Windows, according to its project description.
Hok reimplements Scoop as a command-line package manager written in Rust; its repository notes that development is ongoing.
WinGet is the Windows Package Manager command-line interface, with PowerShell modules and related tools in the project.
Manifest Creator is Microsoft’s command-line tool for creating Windows Package Manager manifests, also known as wingetcreate.
Winfetch displays system information from the command line using a PowerShell utility.
Clink adds Bash-style command-line editing features to cmd.exe, according to its repository description.
dwm-win32 is a port of the X11 dwm window manager to Microsoft Windows.
NetBoot
netboot.xyznetboot.xyz provides a menu for PXE booting operating-system installers and utilities.
procs replaces the ps process-listing command with a modern implementation written in Rust.
This repository collects more than 600 PowerShell scripts for Linux, macOS, and Windows.
OneClick-macOS provides tools and instructions for setting up a macOS virtual machine in QEMU with KVM acceleration on Linux or Windows.
Wox provides an open-source launcher for Windows, macOS, and Linux, according to its project page.
Clover is a bootloader for macOS, Windows, and Linux in UEFI and legacy modes.
OpenRecall provides an open-source alternative to Windows Recall for accessing digital history, with the project describing it as privacy-first.
Sefirah connects a phone and computer with shared clipboard and related cross-device workflow features.
CrossPaste synchronizes clipboard content across macOS, Windows, and Linux using end-to-end encryption and LAN connections.
Alternatives to similar tools
What is the best alternative to Why Is This Running??
Are there open-source alternatives to Why Is This Running??
Alternatives are suggested from the purpose and features described in our listings. Different pages for the same product appear once. Read each description to check whether it fits your task. How we choose alternatives · Suggest an alternative























