Cmder
Cmder is a portable console emulator package for Windows, built on ConEmu with enhancements from Clink, a Monokai color scheme, and a custom prompt layout.
What Cmder is
Cmder is a portable console emulator package for Windows, built on ConEmu with enhancements from Clink, a Monokai color scheme, and a custom prompt layout. Its tabs can run cmd.exe, PowerShell, Bash, and Mintty shells, and it supports split panes, a scripting API, and SSH. The maker says settings, aliases, and history can travel with Cmder on a USB stick or in the cloud. The Full edition includes Git for Windows, which puts Unix commands in PATH; Mini excludes the vendored Git binaries. Users can configure simple aliases with the alias command and place executable files in the bin folder to add them to PATH. Registering Cmder with /REGISTER ALL adds a “Cmder Here” option to File Explorer’s directory context menu. The documentation describes starting the vendored SSH agent with start-ssh-agent. Mini is free and downloads at about 7.8 MB; Full is free and downloads at about 100 MB or 52 MB as a 7z archive. The repository identifies the project’s license as MIT.
Good
- Tabs can run cmd.exe, PowerShell, Bash, and Mintty.
- Settings, aliases, and history can travel with Cmder.
- Supports split panes, a scripting API, and SSH.
- Full includes Git for Windows and Unix commands in PATH.
Watch out
- Available only for Windows.
- Mini excludes vendored Git binaries.
- Preconfigured Bash tabs may need extra configuration in Mini.
Who it suits
Cmder suits Windows users who want a portable console with shell tabs, split panes, scripting, or SSH support. Full may suit users who want Git for Windows and Unix commands in PATH; Mini excludes the vendored Git binaries.
Verdict
Cmder offers several shells and portable settings in two free editions. Choose between the smaller Mini package and Full, which includes Git for Windows.
Plans and prices
From Cmder's own pricing page, checked 8 Oct 2026.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Cmder Full | Free | Download ~100MB or ~52MB 7z · includes Git for Windows |
| Cmder Mini | Free | Download ~7.8MB · excludes vendored Git binaries |
The facts
Each one read from Cmder's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Aliases
- Cmder supports simple aliases, configured with the alias command and stored in config/aliases.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Build requirements
- The maker says building from the repository requires PowerShell 3.0 or later and 7z.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Built on
- Cmder uses ConEmu with enhancements from Clink, plus a Monokai color scheme and a custom prompt layout.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Users can place executable files in the bin folder to have them added to PATH.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Git and Unix tools
- The Full edition includes Git for Windows, which provides Unix commands in PATH; Mini excludes vendored Git binaries.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Integration
- Registering Cmder with /REGISTER ALL adds a “Cmder Here” option to File Explorer's directory context menu.checked 8 Oct 2026
- License
- The project repository identifies the license as MIT.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Limits
- Preconfigured Bash tabs may not work in the Mini edition without additional configuration.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Portability
- The maker says settings, aliases, and history can travel with Cmder on a USB stick or in the cloud.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Product
- Cmder is a portable console emulator package for Windows.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Scripting API
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Shells
- Tabs can run cmd.exe, PowerShell, Bash, and Mintty shells.checked 8 Oct 2026
- Split panes
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- SSH
- The documentation describes starting the vendored SSH agent with start-ssh-agent.checked 8 Oct 2026
- SSH support
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
- Support
- The maker directs users to GitHub issues and notes that upstream ConEmu, Clink, and Git for Windows may be better places to find solutions.checked 8 Oct 2026
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 20 Sep 2026
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- Windowschecked 20 Sep 2026
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