# Zim (zimfw)

6 Hacker News commenters recommended Zim (zimfw) and 0 criticized it, November 2025 to November 2026. It was recommended in 2 of 13 months.

**Verdict:** People recommend Zim for a shell that starts quickly, an easy setup, and a flexible installer, with the features they need.

## Why people recommend it

- Fast shell startup (3 comments): "The shell starts so fast with zim and it is a breeze to set up" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46563074)) "Fast as sin, and one of the most flexible installers systems." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46563232)) "found it has all the features that I need but is much faster" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46562993))
- Easy setup and flexible installer (2 comments): "The shell starts so fast with zim and it is a breeze to set up" ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46563074)) "Fast as sin, and one of the most flexible installers systems." ([source](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=46563232))

## Alternatives hackers recommend

- [Oh My Zsh](https://hackerapproved.com/p/oh-my-zsh.md): 34 recommend

## Cite as

Hacker Approved, "Zim (zimfw)", https://hackerapproved.com/p/zim/ (counts from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026).