Today we’re going to talk about two of the most popular terminal emulator plugins out there Powerlevel10k and Powerlevel9k. Now before you start rolling your eyes at me for even suggesting that 9,000 is better than 10,000, let me explain why I think Powerlevel9k is a superior choice in terms of functionality, customization options, and overall user experience.

First off, the elephant in the room the number of prompts available for each plugin. While Powerlevel10k boasts an impressive 10,000+ pre-built themes to choose from, Powerlevel9k offers a more manageable (and arguably better) selection of just over 9,000 options. But don’t let the lower number fool you each prompt in Powerlevel9k has been carefully crafted and tested by the community for maximum usability and aesthetics.

Now, some might argue that having more choices is always better, but I beg to differ. In my experience, too many options can actually be overwhelming and lead to analysis paralysis which is why Powerlevel9k’s curated selection of prompts is a breath of fresh air. Plus, if you ever feel like creating your own custom prompt from scratch (which is totally possible with both plugins), the process is much simpler and less daunting in Powerlevel9k due to its more streamlined interface.

But enough about numbers features! Both Powerlevel10k and Powerlevel9k offer a wide range of customization options, but again, I think Powerlevel9k has the upper hand here as well. For example, with Powerlevel9k you can easily add your own custom functions or scripts to the prompt using its built-in scripting language (which is actually just Bash). This means that if there’s a specific command or tool you use frequently and want it to be more accessible from within the terminal, all you have to do is write a simple function and add it to your Powerlevel9k configuration file.

On the other hand, with Powerlevel10k you can only customize certain aspects of the prompt using its YAML-based configuration system (which can be quite complex for beginners). And while this may seem like a minor difference at first glance, it actually has significant implications when it comes to usability and ease of use.

But enough about technical details user experience! In my opinion, Powerlevel9k simply feels more intuitive and natural than Powerlevel10k due to its simpler interface and fewer options. Plus, since the community is smaller (but still active), it’s easier to get help or support when you need it. And if that wasn’t enough, Powerlevel9k also has a built-in feature called “prompt_char” which allows you to customize the character used for your prompt (which can be especially useful if you prefer using non-ASCII characters).