Sift
Search large sets of text with sift, a fast command-line alternative to grep that provides regular expression matching.
About Sift
Sift is a command-line search tool for large sets of text. It is presented as a faster and more flexible alternative to grep, the standard Unix search utility. The stated aim is to match grep's performance while adding features. Additional features include gitignore support, conditional matching (for example, matching A only when preceded by B within a set number of lines), multi-core support, and multiline matching.
Behavior can be customized through global or local configuration files, so defaults can apply system-wide or to a specific project path. The homepage describes its design goals as searching everywhere unless the user excludes paths, avoiding unrequested file writes, and not running other programs. The homepage gives performance as a goal, and the excerpt includes no benchmark figures.
Key features
- Regular expression matching for searching large sets of text
- gitignore support
- Conditional matching, such as matching A only when preceded by B within X lines
- Multi-core support
- Multiline matching
- Global and local configuration files for default behavior
Best for: Developers and system administrators who search large volumes of text from the command line and want grep-like speed with gitignore, multiline, or conditional matching.
Good for
- Aims to combine grep-level speed with additional search flexibility
- Settings can be stored in global or per-project configuration files
- Stated design principles include showing errors and warnings rather than hiding them
Watch out for
- Performance is described as a goal; the homepage excerpt gives no benchmark figures
Sift at a glance
- Website
- sift-tool.org
- Category
- Development › Developer Tools
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Guides for Developer Tools
Sift alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Search code locally by meaning with SeaGOAT, a local-first semantic code search engine.
Open source
24 alternativesSearch for code, files, and paths across GitHub repositories with grep.app.
Sourcegraph provides code search and context tools for developers working across repositories and large codebases.
Pick
24 alternativesGrit provides declarative code search and transformation through its GritQL language.
PublicWWW searches HTML, JavaScript, and CSS source across web pages using text snippets, signatures, or keywords.
Customize command prompts across shells such as PowerShell, Bash, Zsh, and Fish with Oh My Posh.
Popular in Developer Tools
Well-known listings from the same topic.
AppDevToolsappdevtools.comCommand Not Foundcommand-not-found.comTestFlighttestflight.apple.com/join/A8GwCnq8Project Wallaceprojectwallace.comCarbon Calculatorwebsitecarbon.comAwesome CLIgithub.com/umutphp/awesome-cli
Sift FAQ
Does sift support .gitignore files?
Yes. Sift can understand .gitignore files, and the --git option can be set as a default in the configuration file.
Can sift match patterns across multiple lines?
Yes. The homepage lists multiline matching as one of its additional features.
Does sift change files on my system?
According to the stated design principles, sift only writes to files when the user requests it and does not execute other programs on the system.
Is something wrong or out of date?
Tell us and an editor will check it.
Own this website?
Claim this listing
Claim the listing and suggest updates yourself. An editor checks every claim first.