If you're using Windows 11 or Windows 10, you’ve probably noticed that PowerShell and Windows Terminal come pre-installed. Both are command-line tools that let you type in commands to get things done. But a common question is whether they’re the same thing or if they’re different. The short answer is PowerShell is a scripting language built on .NET, great for automating tasks and managing your system. Windows Terminal, on the other hand, isn’t a tool on its own. It’s just a front-end app that gives you a nicer interface for PowerShell (and other command-line tools). Here are four key differences between Windows Terminal and PowerShell.

4 PowerShell is more like Command Prompt

It is, in fact, an upgrade over CMD

PowerShell is similar to Command Prompt but much more advanced. Command Prompt (CMD) is the Windows Command Processor and has been the command-line interface for Windows for decades. It originated from DOS and is considered a legacy tool at this point. In 2006, Microsoft introduced PowerShell to expand on what users could do with Command Prompt and provide more functionality.

PowerShell can be used as a replacement for CMD because many of the commands are supported through aliases that map to PowerShell cmdlets. For instance, typing DIR in PowerShell will execute Get-ChildItem, which is the PowerShell equivalent of the command.

However, PowerShell was designed primarily as a scripting language, which is its real strength. It is especially useful for automating tasks and managing systems. PowerShell also includes numerous modules that integrate with other platforms, such as Active Directory, Exchange, and Microsoft 365. Because of these capabilities, it is more suited for administrators and IT professionals than casual users.

3 Terminal and PowerShell serve different purposes

PowerShell is mainly about managing and automating tasks

While Windows Terminal and PowerShell both work in the command-line space, they serve very different purposes.

PowerShell is mainly about managing and automating tasks on Windows. It comes with a vast set of cmdlets that let you handle things like the registry, file system, and services. Its real power is its ability to work with the .NET Framework and other APIs, making it perfect for creating scripts that customize and control your system.

Windows Terminal, on the other hand, is the newest and most modern terminal app for Windows. It is not actually a terminal itself but a terminal emulator that lets you run multiple terminals in tabs. You can use it to run Command Prompt, PowerShell, Azure Cloud Shell, or even the Windows Subsystem for Linux simultaneously.

2 Windows Terminal only works on Windows

PowerShell is a cross-platform tool

Windows Terminal and PowerShell have different platform support. Windows Terminal is built just for Windows and works on Windows 10 (version 19041 and later), Windows 11, and Windows Server 2022. It is an open-source application available through the Microsoft Store or GitHub. PowerShell, on the other hand, is a cross-platform tool. While it started as a Windows-only feature, it now runs on macOS and various Linux distributions like Ubuntu and Red Hat.

1 Both offer a different user experience

Terminal offers more customization and flexibility

Windows Terminal stands out from PowerShell by offering more customization and flexibility. It lets you personalize your experience with features like background images, custom color schemes, and font styles, all easily configured through the settings JSON file.

Another major difference is Windows Terminal's support for multiple tabs and panes. You can run different shells or instances side by side in a single window. PowerShell lacks native support for tabs, which makes managing multiple sessions more challenging.

Windows Terminal is built to be faster and more modern. It uses a GPU-accelerated text renderer, which makes everything feel smoother and more responsive compared to PowerShell. It also has built-in support for Unicode and UTF-8 characters, so you can easily work with different languages and special symbols without extra setup. PowerShell, on the other hand, might need some additional steps to handle encoding properly, which can be less convenient.

Command-line tools are super useful

Command-line tools like PowerShell and CMD are extremely useful and can save you a ton of hours. If you're unsure where to start, begin with these 10 PowerShell commands that can help streamline your workflow. You can also use these PowerShell scripts. While you're at it, check out these diagnostic commands to troubleshoot and fix various issues on your PC.