PowerShell vs Command Prompt: Battle of the
Command Lines

Humans have always had a fundamental need for communication. They have drawn pictures on walls and created images with smoke. Essentially, they have done everything possible to simplify communication. We need to send and receive information and receive feedback; without it, we cannot function effectively.

PowerShell vs Command Prompt: Which is better, and why do we need a command line?

In the world of technology, it is essential to communicate with our systems, telling them what to do and understanding their actions. We use command lines to communicate with our systems. By entering our commands in the command line, we can interact effectively with our computers. Command Lines provide flexibility in control, and they are also essential for IT professionals. But what are the differences between these two Command Lines?

What are Command Prompt and PowerShell?

Command prompt is a Windows-based application. Clicking on it opens a window where you can chat with your PC. You can use various commands to accomplish tasks, such as opening folders or changing display colors. It is simply a tool that helps you communicate without touching your mouse and solve system issues. It is a text-based interface, so there is no button to touch you have to type what you want.

The system offers both advanced and basic commands that can be used by IT specialists as well as regular users. Command prompts are highly valuable for many people because they provide effective control over the PC. Additionally, since they do not rely on a graphical user interface (GUI), they operate much faster. You can open the Command Prompt by clicking the Start menu and searching for “CMD.” A shortcut is available for this.

Recommended service: Windows VPS

PowerShell is quite similar to the command prompt, as it is a framework developed by Microsoft based on the .NET framework. The appearance of its console resembles that of the command prompt, with the main difference being the color; Powershell has a blue background, while the command prompt has a black background. PowerShell is also an effective tool for developers, but is that all there is to it? What distinguishes these two command-line interfaces? We will discuss that in detail.

Note: This is an example of a simple command in the CMD.

PowerShell vs Command Prompt: What are the differences?

To put it simply, both PowerShell and the Command Prompt serve the same purpose, but PowerShell is more advanced. Windows offers these two command shells, which enable communication between the user and the operating system.

PowerShell can perform all the tasks that the Command Prompt can, meaning there is nothing the Command Prompt can do that PowerShell cannot. However, PowerShell is not just an application used to interact with the system; it also refers to an actual scripting programming language.

The Command Prompt is quite limited; in CMD, you simply type a command, and it runs, and that’s about it. In contrast, With PowerShell, you can complete a variety of commands and perform many tasks typically associated with programming, such as setting variables and creating functions. All of this can be done directly within the PowerShell window. While the Command Prompt allows only command input, PowerShell enables you to do a wide range of operations.

Both PowerShell and command prompt are capable of controlling parts of the operating systems. But Powershell could also do more settings than CMD because cmd is just a legacy environment. Poweshell is what Microsoft has been working on since Windows 7; they both have basic commands like “dir” or “CD.”

But PowerShell has ” CMDLETS,” which are more advanced functions created by Microsoft and then integrated natively into PowerShell. Using “aliases,” you don’t need to memorize all the commands in PowerShell. You can type “Get-Alias” to see a list of available commands in your PowerShell session.

Why should we prefer PowerShell?

As we mentioned earlier, PowerShell is not just a Command Line tool; it is a complete scripting programming language. If you are a beginner in programming and looking to get started, we recommend beginning with PowerShell. Learning PowerShell will provide a smooth transition to other programming languages, as it is much easier than languages like C, C#, JavaScript, and others. Additionally, you can create scripts with PowerShell to develop full-fledged applications, as it has the capability it can also be run on MacOS and Linux.

Conclusion

We recommend using PowerShell as your Windows management tool. It offers more than just a command-line interface; its features include access to variables, loops, functions, error handling, and much more.

However, if you are a regular user who does not frequently use command lines, the Command Prompt is a suitable option.

PowerShell vs Command Prompt: Which is right for you? This article explores the command line definition and the pros and cons of each option.