asdf vs plenv
asdf
asdf-vm.complenv
github.comSide by side
| Figure | asdf | plenv |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | — | — |
| Open source | — | — |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 1 | 1 |
| Spec score · Runtime Version Managers | 8.1 (#6) | 7.5 (#17) |
| Spec score · Development Environment Managers | 8.0 (#15) | 7.4 (#35) |
| Installation | The getting-started guide describes installation through Homebrew, Zypper, Pacman, precompiled binaries, Go, or a source build. | The README documents installation from GitHub, from an archive, and through Homebrew on Mac OS X. |
| Plugins | Plugins let asdf manage tools such as Node.js, Ruby, and Elixir, and the plugin API allows support for more tools. | perl-build provides the `plenv install` command, and plenv-contrib adds `use` and `lib` commands as a local::lib integration replacement. |
| Purpose | asdf is a tool version manager that uses one `.tool-versions` file to share exact tool versions with a project team. | plenv lets users select a Perl version for an application so the development environment matches production. |
| Shell support | The homepage lists Bash, ZSH, Fish, and Elvish support with completions available. | The README documents setup for Bash and Zsh, including optional shell integration and autocompletion. |
Plans
In their own words
asdf
asdf is a free, open-source version manager for Linux and macOS. It gives project teams one command interface and a shared `.tool-versions` file for selecting exact versions of multiple tools and runtimes. Plugins support tools such as Node.js, Ruby, and Elixir, while the plugin API allows additional tools. When a command runs, asdf searches for configuration from the current directory upward toward the home directory, then uses shims to launch the selected executable. Existing `.ruby-version`, `.nvmrc`, and `.node-version` files can be supported per plugin. Listed shell support includes Bash, ZSH, Fish, and Elvish, with completions. A GitHub Action uses `.tool-versions` in CI/CD workflows. Installation options include Homebrew, Zypper, Pacman, precompiled binaries, Go, and source builds. asdf manages tool versions rather than system packages or upstream dependencies. If no version is set, execution errors unless the tool is configured as `system`.
plenv
plenv is a free Perl version manager for selecting the interpreter an application uses, helping keep development aligned with production. It installs Perl versions in the user’s home directory and switches between them in the shell. A `.perl-version` file can pin a Perl version to a directory, taking precedence over the global selection. Shell script wrappers called shims route Perl executable commands to the selected version. Setup instructions cover Bash and Zsh, with optional shell integration and autocompletion. Installation options include GitHub, an archive, and Homebrew on Mac OS X. The `perl-build` plugin supplies `plenv install`; `plenv-contrib` adds `use` and `lib` commands as a local::lib integration replacement. The README recommends Carton for upgrades and deployments. `migrate-modules` installs the newest module versions from one Perl environment into another, though the resulting versions may differ. The README lists Perl 5.8.1+ and Bash as dependencies, and curl for `plenv install-cpanm`. plenv supports Linux and macOS and is free software redistributable under the same terms as Perl itself.