asdf
6.2#6 in runtime version managersFree planFree planLinuxmacOS
Visitasdf vs Jabba
What both publish
| Fact | asdf | Jabba |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | asdf is a tool version manager that uses one `.tool-versions` file to share exact tool versions with a project team. | Jabba is a Java version manager inspired by nvm and written in Go. |
| Shell support | The homepage lists Bash, ZSH, Fish, and Elvish support with completions available. | The README gives shell integration instructions for bash, zsh, and fish. |
| Version selection | asdf selects a tool version from `.tool-versions` files starting in the current directory and searching up toward the home directory. | Users can list remote JDKs, filter versions with semantic version ranges, install versions, and switch among installed versions. |
asdf plans
- asdfFree
Jabba plans
- JabbaFree
Pick asdf if…
asdf suits project teams that want to share tool versions through a common configuration file. It is for managing tool runtimes, rather than system packages or upstream dependencies.
Pick Jabba if…
Jabba suits developers who need to install and select JDK versions across macOS, Linux, or Windows. It can also help teams pin a project to a chosen JDK with `.jabbarc`.