7 Cmder Tips Every Windows Power User Should Know

Cmder vs. Windows Terminal: Which Is Better for Developers?

Developers choosing a Windows terminal face two strong options: Cmder — a portable package built on ConEmu + Clink — and Microsoft’s Windows Terminal — a modern, actively developed native app. Below I compare them across practical developer concerns and give a recommendation for typical workflows.

Quick summary

• Use Cmder if you want a portable, Unix-like, highly scriptable experience out of the box and prefer ConEmu/Clink behaviors.
• Use Windows Terminal if you want a fast, actively maintained, GPU-accelerated native app with deep WSL/PowerShell integration and modern UI features.

Comparison (key attributes)

• Core design

  • Cmder: Packaging around ConEmu + Clink (portable). Emphasis on convenience, bundled Unix tools (if using Full).
  • Windows Terminal: Native terminal host using modern Windows APIs (ConPTY, GPU rendering), maintained by Microsoft.

• Shell & environment support

  • Cmder: Works with cmd, PowerShell, WSL, Git-for-Windows tools; includes Clink for bash-like completions; portable Full build bundles Unix utilities.
  • Windows Terminal: First-class profiles for PowerShell, CMD, WSL distributions, Azure Cloud Shell; easy profile JSON configuration.

• Performance & rendering

  • Cmder: ConEmu-based; solid but can be slower, especially with large scrollback or heavy terminal apps.
  • Windows Terminal: GPU-accelerated rendering and better font/ligature support — generally smoother for modern workflows (vim, tmux via WSL).

• Customization & configuration

  • Cmder: Configurable via ConEmu GUI and Cmder-specific aliases/config files; strong aliasing, scripts, and integrations (vendor bin).
  • Windows Terminal: Extensive theming, JSON settings, custom keybindings, per-profile settings; easy to add many profiles and schemes.

• Portability & installation

  • Cmder: Portable — unzip and run; good for carry-on USB/cloud profiles.
  • Windows Terminal: Installed via Microsoft Store/winget; per-machine install, not portable.

• Extensibility & ecosystem

  • Cmder: Leverages ConEmu and Clink; easy to inject portable tools into PATH, integrate GUI apps into console layout.
  • Windows Terminal: Integrates with Windows ecosystem, WSL, and async features; growing community tools and extensions via profiles.

• Stability & maintenance

  • Cmder: Relies on upstream ConEmu/Clink; less frequent upstream activity but stable for many users.
  • Windows Terminal: Actively developed, frequent updates and new features from Microsoft.

• Advanced features (split panes, tabs, copy/paste)

  • Both: Tabs and panes supported. Windows Terminal offers richer modern UI (smooth panes, Unicode/emoji handling). Cmder provides useful ConEmu shortcuts and right-click integration (“Cmder Here”).

• Developer conveniences

  • Cmder: Immediate Unix toolchain (with Full), powerful aliases, easy one-file portability.
  • Windows Terminal: Best for WSL-first workflows and deep PowerShell/WSL interop; better performance for heavy terminal apps.

When to choose which (use-cases)

• Pick Cmder if:

  • You need portability (carry config on USB/cloud).
  • You want built-in Unix-like tools without installing WSL.
  • You prefer ConEmu/Clink behavior and DOS-style aliases, or need tight integration with legacy Windows tooling.

• Pick Windows Terminal if:

  • You use WSL extensively, want native performance and GPU rendering.
  • You prefer regularly updated software and modern UI features (tabs, panes, profiles, emoji/unicode).
  • You want per-profile JSON control, seamless PowerShell and Azure integration.

Migration tips

• From Cmder → Windows Terminal:
  • Recreate Cmder aliases as PowerShell functions or small scripts; add Git for Windows or point profile to WSL if you need Unix tools.
  • Create profiles for cmd, PowerShell, and specific WSL distros; enable GPU rendering and adjust the color scheme.
• From Windows Terminal → Cmder:
  • Copy useful shell configs and aliases into Cmder’s /config/aliases; add vendor binaries into Cmder/bin for portability.
  • Register “Cmder Here” if you want context-menu launching.

Verdict

For most modern developer workflows (WSL, PowerShell Core, heavy terminal apps), Windows Terminal is the better long-term choice due to performance, active development, and native integration. For users who value portability, immediate Unix tooling without WSL, or prefer ConEmu/Clink features and deep alias/script customization, Cmder remains an excellent option. Many developers keep both and use each where it fits best.

If you tell me your primary workflow (WSL vs. Git-for-Windows vs. pure PowerShell, need for portability), I’ll give a one-line final recommendation tailored to that.