asdf vs rbenv
asdf
asdf-vm.comrbenv
rbenv.orgSide by side
| Figure | asdf | rbenv |
|---|---|---|
| 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) | 7.3 (#21) |
| Spec score · Development Environment Managers | 8.0 (#15) | 7.2 (#42) |
| Intended users | The documentation describes using a shared `.tool-versions` file to help project teams use the same tool versions. | The installer documentation describes rbenv-installer as intended for casual use on a user's own development machine. |
| Plugins | Plugins let asdf manage tools such as Node.js, Ruby, and Elixir, and the plugin API allows support for more tools. | rbenv supports plugins that can hook into or override almost any aspect of its default behavior. |
| Purpose | asdf is a tool version manager that uses one `.tool-versions` file to share exact tool versions with a project team. | rbenv manages Ruby versions on Unix-like systems so projects can use the Ruby version they require. |
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`.