gum vs lipgloss
Terminal styling and interactive workflows compared
gum provides ready-to-use interactive prompts and styled output for shell scripts. lipgloss is a Go library for styling and arranging terminal content in applications, so the main difference is gum’s shell-focused components versus lipgloss’s reusable rendering tools for Go developers.
gum: Build Interactive, Polished Shell Scripts
Gum adds ready-to-use interactive prompts and styled output to shell scripts without requiring Go code. It suits developers who want friendlier command-line workflows, provided their scripts can rely on a terminal UI.
lipgloss: Style and Layout for Terminal Interfaces
Lip Gloss is a Go library for styling terminal output and composing text-based layouts. It suits developers building command-line tools and terminal user interfaces who want reusable styles, color handling, and layout helpers without implementing terminal rendering themselves.
| gum | lipgloss | |
|---|---|---|
| Language | Go | Go |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Stars | 24.5k | 11.9k |
| Forks | 554 | 402 |
| Last analyzed | Oct 3, 2026 | Oct 3, 2026 |
Key differences
- gum offers interactive commands for input, selection, confirmation, file browsing, and spinners; lipgloss focuses on styling, text measurement, and layout.
- gum is designed to be composed into shell scripts without writing a Go application; lipgloss is a library used from Go programs.
- gum supports styled output alongside interactive workflows, while lipgloss provides reusable styles and components such as tables, lists, and trees.
- lipgloss adapts color output to terminal capabilities and handles redirected output; gum’s supplied details emphasize user-driven terminal interactions.
- Both projects are written in Go and use the MIT license.
- gum has 24.5k stars and 554 forks; lipgloss has 11.9k stars and 402 forks.
Choose gum if you…
- build interactive shell workflows without implementing terminal interfaces in Go.
- gather input, filter choices, or confirm actions in user-driven scripts.
- add menus, prompts, or styled output to local command-line tasks.
Choose lipgloss if you…
- build Go command-line tools with reusable terminal styles and layouts.
- format terminal output across different color capabilities or redirected output.
- create tables, lists, trees, or styled views, especially alongside Bubble Tea.
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This comparison is generated with AI from the OSRepos analyses of both projects. Always check each project's repository and documentation before choosing.