Tech riderRev. 4 Oct 2026
- 1Runs onLinux, Mac
- 2CostsFree plan
- 3Runtime managementYes
- 4Dependency lockingYes
- 5Configuration as codeYes
- 6Shell integrationYes
6 lines stated Written from the maker's own pages: asdf-vm.com
Overview
asdf is ranked #20 of 51 in development environment managers on Specifiction. It runs on Linux, macOS. There is a free plan.
asdf plans and pricing
All plansCompared on development environment managers
- Runtime management
- Yesasdf-vm.com
- Dependency locking
- Yesasdf-vm.com
- Configuration as code
- Yesasdf-vm.com
- Shell integration
- Yesasdf-vm.com
Facts
- Purpose
- asdf is a tool version manager that uses one `.tool-versions` file to share exact tool versions with a project team.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Unified interface
- asdf provides one command interface and configuration file for managing multiple tools and runtimes.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Plugins
- Plugins let asdf manage tools such as Node.js, Ruby, and Elixir, and the plugin API allows support for more tools.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Version selection
- asdf selects a tool version from `.tool-versions` files starting in the current directory and searching up toward the home directory.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Execution
- asdf creates shims for installed executables so it can run the version specified for the current project.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Migration
- asdf supports existing version files such as `.ruby-version`, `.nvmrc`, and `.node-version` on a per-plugin basis.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Shell support
- The homepage lists Bash, ZSH, Fish, and Elvish support with completions available.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- CI integration
- The homepage says asdf provides a GitHub Action to use `.tool-versions` in CI/CD workflows.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The getting-started guide describes installation through Homebrew, Zypper, Pacman, precompiled binaries, Go, or a source build.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Supported operating systems
- The installation guide lists Linux and macOS dependency instructions and provides binaries for operating-system and architecture combinations.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Limits
- asdf is a tool version manager, not a system package manager, and it does not manage upstream dependencies.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Version resolution limit
- If no version is listed for a tool, executing that tool produces an error unless its version is set to `system`.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Security and trust
- The official pages opened for this research did not state security certifications or compliance claims.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation describes using a shared `.tool-versions` file to help project teams use the same tool versions.asdf-vm.com · 4 Oct 2026
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Where it ranks on Specifiction
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Sources
- asdf-vm.com/guide/introduction.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
- asdf-vm.com/manage/plugins.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
- asdf-vm.com/guide/getting-started.html· checked 4 Oct 2026
- asdf-vm.com· checked 4 Oct 2026